Business Development Manager – Central Africa FMCG (Personal Care)

About the role

A leading FMCG organisation is looking for a commercially driven Business Development Manager to grow its personal and family care portfolio across Central Africa. The role combines market expansion, distributor development and route‑to‑market optimisation, requiring extensive travel and a hands‑on, field‑focused approach.

Key responsibilities

• Drive market growth strategies, distribution expansion and category development in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Angola.
• Strengthen and optimise route‑to‑market structures and distributor capabilities.
• Manage distributor performance, Joint Business Plans and execution KPIs.
• Expand presence in both modern trade and traditional/general trade channels.
• Lead trade execution activities such as promotions, in‑store visibility, pricing integrity and shelf execution.
• Ensure product availability, stock management and supply continuity across markets.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Marketing to align execution and campaigns.
• Maintain compliance with SADC regulations, import/export requirements and trade frameworks.

Required profile

• Strong FMCG experience in personal care, beauty or family care (essential).
• Proven track record in traditional/general trade and distributor‑led markets.
• Established relationships with African distributors (essential).
• Experience across multiple African markets and cross‑border trade environments.
• Strong understanding of SADC trade regulations and logistics complexity.
• Commercially strong, resilient and comfortable operating in‑field across diverse markets.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Central and Southern Africa.

Required skills