Overview
Key Account Sales Manager Jobs in City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa at E-XHALE
Title: Key Account Sales Manager
Company: E-XHALE
Location: City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
E Xhale is one of South Africa's fastest-growing nicotine and vaping distributors, supplying major retail chains, forecourt networks and independent trade across all nine provinces. We are seeking a commercially driven Key Accounts Manager to own and grow our most important retail relationships.
This is a high-visibility, high-accountability role. You will be the primary point of contact for national chain buyers and accounts teams, responsible for maintaining listings, driving sell-through, resolving commercial queries and ensuring E Xhale's products are ranged, available and performing on shelf.
The right person is equally comfortable in a buyer meeting negotiating trading terms and on the shop floor checking planogram compliance. They are organised, data-literate and know how to build relationships that translate into commercial outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Account Management & Relationship Building
• Own the day-to-day relationship with assigned national key accounts — buyers, accounts payable, category managers and store operations teams
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for queries, claims, disputes, short deliveries and credit note resolution
• Conduct regular scheduled buyer visits and business review meetings — monthly at minimum for top-tier accounts
• Maintain deep knowledge of each account's internal processes, payment terms, promotional calendars and ranging review cycles
• Build and maintain a contact matrix for each account — buyer, accounts payable, logistics, and store operations
Revenue Growth & Commercial Performance
• Drive volume growth within existing accounts through improved ranging, secondary placement and promotional activity
• Identify and convert new listing opportunities within existing account structures — new stores, new SKU introductions, seasonal ranges
• Negotiate trading terms, promotional support and listing fees in line with approved commercial frameworks
• Monitor account-level sell-through data and identify underperforming SKUs before they become ranging risks
• Prepare and present business cases for new product listings with supporting category and sales data
Drop Shipment & Statement Submissions
• Manage the end-to-end drop shipment submission process for assigned accounts — SPAR North Rand, SPAR WC, Pick n Pay, OK Foods and others
• Ensure weekly and monthly invoice schedules, consolidated statements, proof of delivery documents and reconciliations are prepared accurately and submitted on time to each account's accounts department
• Follow up on outstanding payments, resolve deduction queries and coordinate with the finance team on credit note processing
• Maintain a query log for each account — tracking open POD requests, claims, duplicate claim disputes and unresolved deductions
Overdue Account Management
• Monitor the national debtors age analysis daily for assigned accounts
• Proactively contact account contacts on overdue invoices — by phone and email — before accounts move into the 60+ day bucket
• Investigate and resolve claim disputes by obtaining signed PODs, delivery confirmations and Sage invoice records
• Escalate accounts that exceed 90 days to the Financial Manager with a full query summary and recommended action
Reporting & Forecasting
• Provide weekly account performance updates to the Commercial Manager — covering revenue, outstanding balances, open queries and upcoming risks
• Contribute to monthly sales forecasts for assigned accounts based on order history, promotional activity and ranging changes
• Track and report on distribution, planogram compliance and on-shelf availability following store visits
• Maintain accurate records of all trading agreements, promotional confirmations and buyer correspondence
Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with the finance team on statement submissions, deduction resolution and debtor management for assigned accounts
• Collaborate with the operations team to flag delivery issues, short shipments or lead time concerns that affect key account service levels
• Provide buyer feedback and ranging insights to the Commercial Manager to inform product development and procurement decisions
• Support the sales team with in-store activation, promotional execution and rep-level queries related to key accounts
Required Skills & Experience
Non-negotiable requirements
- Minimum 3 years key account management or national account sales experience
- Proven experience managing major South African retail chains — Pick n Pay, SPAR, OK Foods, Makro or equivalent
- Strong understanding of the FMCG retail environment — trading terms, drop shipments, promotional mechanics, planograms
- Experience managing invoice submissions, statement reconciliations and deduction disputes with major retailers
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills — comfortable in buyer meetings and escalation conversations
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail — able to manage multiple accounts and deadlines simultaneously
- Proficient in Excel — able to work with age analysis reports, invoice schedules and reconciliation spreadsheets
- Valid driver's licence and own reliable vehicle
- Relevant qualification — BCom, NDip Sales/Marketing/Business or equivalent
What We Offer
Remuneration: R25,000 – R45,000 per month CTC + performance incentive
• A high-growth, entrepreneurial business with direct access to senior leadership
• A role with genuine commercial influence — your relationships directly drive company revenue
• Performance incentive tied to account revenue growth and KPI achievement
• National exposure across South Africa's major retail and forecourt channels
• A fast-moving, collaborative team culture where initiative is rewarded
• Opportunity to grow into a senior commercial role as the business scales nationally and internationally