Head of Marketing

Our client is a global sports betting and iGaming operator entering the South African market and is seeking an experienced Head of Marketing to lead local market entry, brand launch, and sustainable growth.

This role requires senior, hands-on experience in iGaming or sports betting marketing, ideally within regulated or emerging markets. Candidates without direct sector experience will not be considered.

The Role:

As Head of Marketing – South Africa, you will own the end-to-end local marketing strategy, from pre-launch planning through to post-launch scale. You will act as the regional marketing authority, localising a global brand for South African players while ensuring full regulatory compliance.

This is a build-and-launch role, not a maintenance one.

Key Responsibilities:

Market Entry & Launch Strategy

• Define and execute the South African market-entry and go-to-market strategy.
• Localise global brand positioning, messaging, and campaigns for the South African audience.
• Lead pre-launch, launch, and post-launch marketing initiatives.

Acquisition, Retention & Growth

• Drive player acquisition across paid media, affiliates, partnerships, and brand channels.
• Oversee CRM and lifecycle marketing in collaboration with global and local teams.
• Optimise player value, LTV, and sustainable growth across sportsbook products.

Brand & Campaign Leadership

• Own local brand execution while maintaining global brand integrity.
• Plan and deliver campaigns aligned to South African sporting calendars and cultural moments.
• Manage creative agencies, media partners, and affiliates locally.

Regulatory & Compliance Alignment

• Ensure all marketing activity complies with South African gambling legislation and advertising standards.
• Work closely with Compliance and Legal teams to approve promotions, bonuses, and messaging.
• Embed responsible gambling principles into all marketing activity.

Stakeholder & Global Alignment

• Act as the key marketing interface between global HQ and the South African operation.
• Provide local market insight to global leadership and influence group strategy.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with Product, Trading, CRM, and Compliance teams.

Performance, Data & Reporting

• Own local marketing budgets, forecasting, and ROI.
• Track and report on KPIs including CPA, retention, and lifetime value.
• Use data-driven insights to continuously optimise performance.

Key Skills & Experience:

• Senior marketing leadership experience within iGaming or sports betting.
• Proven experience launching or scaling brands in new or regulated markets.
• Strong understanding of sportsbook products, player behaviour, and promotions.
• Deep knowledge of regulatory marketing constraints in betting environments.
• Commercially driven, analytical, and execution-focused.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across local and global teams.

Why Join?

• Lead the South African market launch for a global betting brand.
• Own the local marketing strategy with real autonomy and accountability.
• Work closely with international leadership on expansion strategy.
• Competitive executive-level remuneration.
• Cape Town–based role with long-term growth potential.

If you have successfully launched or scaled betting brands in regulated markets and want to own the South African growth story from day one, this role offers rare exposure and influence.