South Head

About Wahed:

The global financial system wasn't built for everyone. For millions of people, its reliance on interest (riba) creates a barrier to managing money and building wealth without compromising their values.

At Wahed, we're changing that. We are a global fintech company on a mission to build a new financial system—one that is ethical, accessible, and entirely interest-free. From our offices across the globe, our team is building products that were once deemed impossible, from pioneering Shariah-compliant equity ETFs, creating riba-free alternatives to high yield savings accounts, to creating no-leverage real estate investments for truly interest-free income producing assets.

If you're driven to solve complex problems and believe finance should empower, not exclude, join us in building a more equitable financial future.

Job Brief:

Wahed is entering one of the most strategically important and socially impactful markets in our global expansion journey:
South Africa - a nation with deep financial inequality, a sophisticated financial ecosystem, and a growing appetite for values-based, ethical financial solutions.

We are seeking a mission-driven, commercially astute Country Head to build, launch, and scale Wahed South Africa from the ground up. This is a defining leadership opportunity to pioneer Islamic and ethical digital finance in a market where it can create outsized socioeconomic impact.

As the South Africa Country Head
, you will be the principal architect of Wahed’s presence in the region. You will shape the country strategy, build foundational regulatory and industry relationships, and orchestrate a high-stakes, multi-workstream market launch. This includes leading the localization of our product offering, building our operational footprint, and establishing Wahed as a trusted, compliant, and high-integrity financial provider in the country. This is a role for someone who thrives in emerging markets, understands the nuance of regulated financial ecosystems, and is energized by the challenge of shaping a market from zero to scale.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will be accountable for delivering a successful market entry, ensuring operational resilience, and driving sustainable customer growth in South Africa.

• Develop and execute a purpose-driven country strategy that positions Wahed as South Africa’s leading provider of Shariah-compliant and ethical financial solutions.
• Partner with the CEO and global leadership to shape long-term country-level priorities, investment decisions, and growth pathways.

• Oversee the launch of our products and features in South Africa, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation and localisation.
• Coordinate cross-functional work streams (product, operations, technology, marketing, legal, risk) to deliver a seamless, high-integrity market entry.
• Establish robust governance, compliance, and risk frameworks aligned with South African regulations and Wahed’s global standards.

• Build influential relationships with regulators, financial institutions, potential partners, community leaders, and Shariah governance stakeholders.
• Position Wahed as a trusted, values-aligned entrant that enhances financial inclusion and aligns with South Africa’s socioeconomic priorities.
• Identify and negotiate strategic partnerships that strengthen product reach, credibility, and local impact.

• Drive customer acquisition, retention, and market penetration through data-driven insights, continuous improvement, and localised value propositions.
• Identify emerging opportunities unique to the South African context, such as community-based financial inclusion initiatives or culturally relevant financial products.
• Provide regular reports to the c-suite on the progress of the South Africa launch and the performance of the country s operations, including key milestones, financial metrics, customer acquisition, and product usage.

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing South…