Country Manager - South Africa & Sub Saharan Africa

Country Manager – South Africa

Location: South Africa (Sandton)

Scope: South Africa (with selected Sub-Saharan Africa SSA interface)

Reports to: VP, IM TIGA

Coloplast South Africa is searching for an experienced people and business leader to take on the role as Country Manager (CM) South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa and further solidify the strong, double-digit growth journey delivered by the team over the last several years. We are looking for an exceptionally strong candidate that matches the complexity and opportunities inherent in the role and can help identify and leverage future growth drivers.

Overview – the ideal candidate

• A strong commercial strategist with robust P&L management expertise.
• A people‑first leader, experienced in building high‑performing teams.
• A market shaper, able to navigate public and private healthcare ecosystems.
• A trusted partner, capable of strengthening our relationship with our distributor, and advancing B‑BBEE objectives in a compliant and sustainable manner.
• A leader who role‑models Coloplast’s values, the Leadership Promise, and the BEST ethics program.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic & Commercial Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of the South Africa & SSA business strategy in alignment with IMPACT4 priorities (Grow Chronic Care, Lead Digital Health, Operate Efficiently, Cultivate Culture).
• Deliver consistent double‑digit growth, including market share expansion across all business areas.
• Own full P&L responsibility, ensuring disciplined financial management and strong ROI on commercial investments.
• Shape and implement a local market access strategy, strengthening relationships in both public sector (NDoH, provincial DOHs, tenders) and private sector (medical schemes, hospital groups, distributors).
• Ensure close collaboration with our distributor to deliver shared commercial goals and expand regional footprint.

2. Leadership & People Development

• Build, empower, and lead a high‑performing, locally relevant and future‑fit team.
• Attract and develop leadership talent capable of scaling our SA/SSA business.
• Set clear direction, create accountability, and drive a performance‑centric culture rooted in Coloplast’s values.
• Strengthen internal credibility through transparent KPI reporting, execution discipline, and stakeholder alignment across IM and Global teams.

3. Market Development & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the face of Coloplast South Africa with healthcare professionals, KOLs, policymakers, and industry associations.
• Maintain strong partnerships with distributors across SSA to ensure effective channel management and compliant go‑to‑market operations.
• Build and sustain a high‑trust relationship with our distributor, ensuring collaborative business planning, operational alignment, and continuous capability development.
• Lead advocacy efforts to improve patient access to high‑quality chronic care solutions.

4. Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure world‑class compliance with local med‑tech regulations, labour laws, tender requirements, POPIA, tax frameworks, and B‑BBEE regulations.
• Embed Coloplast’s BEST program, ensuring integrity, transparency, and ethical decision‑making in all operations.
• Oversee robust internal controls, reporting, and risk assessment processes.

5. Digital, Innovation & Operational Excellence

• Drive adoption of digital solutions and data‑driven decision‑making to enhance commercial impact.
• Identify new growth opportunities across product categories, channels, and under‑served patient groups.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to optimise operational efficiency and resource allocation.

Leadership & Personal Characteristics

• A front‑seat leader, highly visible, engaged, and hands‑on.
• Strong communicator, able to influence internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Entrepreneurial, strategic, analytical, and execution‑focused.
• High learning agility and adaptable to South Africa’s dynamic market environment.
• Deep understanding of South African cultural nuances and the ability to blend them with Coloplast’s Scandinavian leadership style.
• Demonstrated integrity and commitment to compliance.

Ideal Background

• 7+ years of senior leadership experience, including leading leaders.
• Proven P&L ownership and strong commercial acumen.
• 5+ years in MedTech or Life Sciences, ideally across business areas or similar chronic‑care categories.
• Prior experience with public tender ecosystems, market access, private payors, and distributor management.
• Strong track record of delivering above‑market growth.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling high‑performing teams.
• Experience working with or within B‑BBEE partnership models is strongly advantageous.
• Bachelor's degree required; postgraduate qualification preferred.

Pursuing an ambitious growth agenda, Coloplast develops and markets products and services that make life easier for people with intimate healthcare needs. Employing about 16.000 people and with products available in more than 143 countries, we are one of the world´s leading medical device companies. We are constantly growing our business and always looking for new ways to move forward – we explore, learn and look for new ways of doing things.

Coloplast is committed to being an inclusive organization, where people bring their differences to work each day, fulfil their potential and have a strong sense of belonging because – and not despite – of their differences. We therefore encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious belief or physical ability.

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