Group Accounts Payable Manager

About the role

Reload Logistics, a leading freight forwarder in Southern Africa, is seeking an experienced Group Accounts Payable Manager to lead its accounts payable function across the group. This is a hands-on leadership role in a fast-paced, high-volume logistics environment, managing a team of 6 direct reports whose size will grow as the business expands. The role centres on payment communication, supplier relationships and cash-flow priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Group accounts payable function and manage the end-to-end supplier payment cycle, from invoice receipt and approval through to payment preparation and reconciliation.
• Maintain accurate supplier ledgers, reconcile suppliers regularly, monitor aged payables, outstanding invoices, disputed items and unapplied payments, and support cash-flow planning for Finance and Treasury.
• Act as a key finance contact for transport suppliers and capacity buyers, manage their expectations and set up a disciplined escalation process for critical suppliers and urgent payments.
• Work with operations and capacity buyers to approve invoices and resolve disputes quickly, challenge urgent payment requests while remaining commercially aware, and drive accountability for missing documentation and rate discrepancies.
• Coordinate with Finance on upcoming payment obligations, prioritize payments by agreed commercial and operational criteria, and escalate payment risks early.
• Manage a team of 6 AP staff, set measurable service standards, and build a culture of urgency and accountability.
• Maintain segregation of duties and payment controls, strengthen controls around bank-detail changes, improve AP reporting and automation, and support month-end close.

Required profile

• Strong experience managing an accounts payable function in a high-volume, multi-entity environment; experience in Africa is a plus.
• Previous team-management experience.
• Experience in logistics, transport, freight forwarding or another operationally intensive industry is highly advantageous.
• Strong understanding of supplier reconciliations, payment controls and AP ageing.
• Excellent stakeholder and relationship-management skills, strong commercial judgement and attention to detail.

Required skills

• Strong Excel and ERP/accounting-system capabilities.
• Ability to distinguish between operationally critical and administratively urgent payments.