Business Development Lead

Job description

About Digify Africa
Digify Africa is a leading non-profit organisation that equips  Africans with the digital skills and career pathways they need to thrive in the digital economy. With over 14 years of impact, we’ve trained nearly 1 million youth across the continent and partnered with major global organisations such as Meta, the UK Government, Dell Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. As we expand our hybrid non-profit and commercial model, we are investing in a dedicated team to drive sustainable growth and partnerships.

Role overview

We are seeking a dynamic, strategic, and relationship-focused business development lead to drive new funding, clients, and commercial opportunities. This is a hands-on role that combines external engagement with internal coordination and strategic input. The successful candidate will lead on business development meetings and pitches, manage fundraising efforts, oversee internal BD processes, and support leadership with strategic insights.

Key responsibilities

External business development and fundraising

• Lead external business development and fundraising meetings, pitches, and presentations
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of funders, donors, clients, and partners - actively starting new conversations and building relationships with partners and funders.
• Conduct sector research and generate business intelligence on clients, funders, and industry trends
• Develop compelling proposals, concept notes, budgets, and pitch decks in collaboration with relevant teams
• Attend relevant events, conferences, and networking opportunities to build awareness and stay abreast of market shifts
• Lead Digify Africa’s fundraising and donation drive efforts

Internal business development operations

• Chair weekly internal business development meetings, ensuring alignment across the team
• Manage and improve tools to track weekly business development activities, leads, and performance metrics
• Own and update the sales forecast document, ensuring accurate reflection of all hot, warm, and contracted opportunities
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (programs, finance, marketing) to align efforts and package offerings

Strategy and research support

• Support the leadership team with research, insights, and preparation for strategic planning sessions
• Assist with coordinating and facilitating internal strategy workshops and planning processes
• Contribute to long-term thinking around the future of work, digital skills demand, and industry trends
• Conduct demand mapping and opportunity analysis to identify areas of growth for Digify Africa

Requirements

• Passionate about youth development, technology, and social impact in Africa
• 3–5 years’ experience in business development, fundraising, partnerships, or a related field (non-profit, social enterprise, or commercial)
• Familiarity with SA and pan-African funders, public-private partnerships, or philanthropic networks.
• Proven experience developing proposals and managing client/funder pipelines
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
• Strong organisational skills with experience managing tracking tools, CRMs, or sales dashboards
• Research-driven and able to generate insights to inform strategy and positioning
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and thrive in a fast-paced, purpose-driven environment
• Experience in grant writing, donor relations, fundraising and CSR partnerships
• Familiarity with the digital economy, education and youth skills development
• Existing networks in the donor, corporate, or impact sectors

Skills and attributes

• Revenue generation and sales expertise: Proven track record of closing deals and securing funding or partnerships.
• Proposal development and grant writing: Strong written communication skills to develop proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks. Ability to translate ideas into clear, fundable offers that align with funder/client priorities.
• Stakeholder management and relationship building: Confidently engaging with senior leaders, donors, and CSR teams. Skilled in maintaining warm relationships over time — not just winning new leads but nurturing them long-term.
• Strategic thinking and market intelligence: Ability to analyse trends in the future of work, education, and digital skills. Experience conducting or interpreting sector research to shape strategy and positioning.
• Organisational and administrative discipline: Strong with tracking pipelines, CRM tools, forecasting documents, and BD dashboards. Able to lead internal BD meetings and coordinate across teams with clarity.
• Financial acumen: Understands budgets, forecasts, pricing strategies, and how to align BD work to income targets.

Mindsets and soft skills

• Resilient and self-starting
• Mission-aligned and impact-driven
• Entrepreneurial and creative problem solver
• Outcome-oriented
• Ethical and trust

Requirements

Skills & Attributes

• Revenue Generation & Sales Expertise: Proven track record of closing deals and securing funding or partnerships.
• Proposal Development & Grant Writing: Strong written communication skills to develop proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks. Ability to translate ideas into clear, fundable offers that align with funder/client priorities.
• Stakeholder Management & Relationship Building: Confidently engaging with senior leaders, donors, and CSR teams. Skilled in maintaining warm relationships over time — not just winning new leads but nurturing them long-term.
• Strategic Thinking & Market Intelligence: Ability to analyse trends in the future of work, education, and digital skills. Experience conducting or interpreting sector research to shape strategy and positioning.
• Organisational and Administrative Discipline: Strong with tracking pipelines, CRM tools, forecasting documents, and BD dashboards. Able to lead internal BD meetings and coordinate across teams with clarity.
• Financial Acumen: Understands budgets, forecasts, pricing strategies, and how to align BD work to income targets.
  
  

Mindsets and Soft Skills

• Resilient & Self-Starting
• Mission-aligned & Impact-driven
• Entrepreneurial & Creative problem solver
• Outcome-Oriented
• Ethical & Trustworthy

Company Description

This is a Full time role. If you wish to apply, please send your CV to Recruitment@digifyafrica.com and your motivation letter highlighting how your work experience makes you a suitable candidate for this role.
Please address your application to Palesa and write your name, surname, and M&E Manager in the subject line. If you do not receive feedback from us in three weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Posted on 27 May 17:05, Closing date 6 Jun