SOX & Internal Controls Analyst Johannesburg

📌 OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW:-Lesaka Technologies is actively recruiting for a SOX & Internal Controls Analyst position in Johannesburg. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Finance / Accounting / Audit sector looking to advance their careers.

🎯 IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:-We are seeking talented individuals with the following profile:• Experience Level: 2 - 3 years • Educational Background: Bachelor or equivalent• Industry Focus: Finance / Accounting / Audit• Location Preference: in Johannesburg

💼 WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS:-Financial professionals like SOX & Internal Controls Analyst are vital for organizational stability and compliance. This role offers the opportunity to impact business strategy and financial health.

📈 CAREER DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS:-At the 2-3 year mark in Finance / Accounting / Audit, you can leverage your foundational knowledge to take on more complex responsibilities and leadership opportunities.

📋 APPLICATION GUIDANCE:-When applying for this SOX & Internal Controls Analyst position, ensure your CV highlights:• Relevant experience matching the 2 - 3 years requirement• Educational qualifications in line with Bachelor• Specific achievements in the Finance / Accounting / Audit field• Any certifications or specialized training

🌍 SOUTH AFRICA JOB MARKET CONTEXT:-The Finance / Accounting / Audit sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

**Job Title:** SOX & Internal Controls Analyst **Company:** Lesaka Technologies

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**Vacancy Details** **Employer:** Lesaka Technologies

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🚀 **We're Hiring: SOX & Internal Controls Analyst**

**Location:** South Africa **Department:** Merchant Division - Finance **Reports to:** Senior Manager: SOX & Internal Controls

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**Role Overview**

The SOX & Internal Controls Analyst will provide support for the documentation, monitoring, testing, and remediation of internal controls within the Lesaka Merchant Division. The position collaborates closely with the Senior Manager: SOX & Internal Controls, Finance teams, control owners, Group SOX, Internal Audit, and external audit. The Analyst must understand business processes, gather and evaluate evidence, perform walkthroughs and management testing, identify and report exceptions, maintain control documentation, and oversee remediation progress. This role aims to develop Merchant's internal controls expertise over time, gradually increasing the Analyst’s responsibility for assigned SOX workstreams while maintaining business management oversight of underlying processes and controls.

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**Scope of Role**

This position supports the South African operations of the Lesaka Merchant Division, extending to common, centralized, and divisional controls that apply to both local and international operations. This includes shared entity-level controls, common ITGCs and application controls, centralized close, consolidation, reporting, and master data and user access processes. It also covers control documentation and integration for businesses acquired or transferred within the Division.

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**Key Responsibilities**

**SOX Documentation**

• Prepare and maintain risk and control matrices, process narratives, flowcharts, and control descriptions under the guidance of the Senior Manager. - Update control-owner registers, walkthrough and testing documentation, remediation trackers, and evidence repositories. - Perform quality checks to ensure documentation accuracy and currentness and escalate identified gaps.

**Walkthroughs**

• Document process walkthroughs with control owners, detailing transaction origins, systems used, financial reporting risks, key controls, and supporting evidence. - Document control ownership, performance, review arrangements, and identify discrepancies between documented and actual processes. - Escalate control gaps, inconsistencies, and changes in financial reporting risks during walkthroughs.

**Control Testing**

• Conduct risk-based management testing of control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness under the direction of the Senior Manager. - Perform testing procedures, including validation, evidence inspection, re-performance, inquiry, observation, and exception identification. - Assess management review controls and completeness/accuracy controls over information used in control performance. - Maintain objectivity where the Merchant SOX team has assisted with control design or remediation. - Disclose involvement in control design or remediation promptly to ensure appropriate evaluation or reallocation. - Prepare clear, accurate, and supported testing workpapers for review.

**Remediation Support**

• Maintain the SOX remediation tracker and obtain regular updates from business owners. - Collect and assess implementation evidence, flagging unsupported actions. - Identify overdue actions, perform timely follow-ups, and escalate delays to the Senior Manager. - Prepare remediation evidence and preliminary validation for Senior Manager review and closure processes.

**Evidence Management**

• Coordinate evidence collection across Merchant, ensuring completeness, proper dating, clear linkage to controls, and repository retention. - Perform quality checks and escalate deficiencies before submission for further review or testing. - Identify weak or incomplete evidence and support control owners in understanding evidence requirements.

**Audit Coordination**

• Support the coordination and timely resolution of Group SOX, Internal Audit, and external audit requests. - Maintain information-request trackers, including accountable owners, deadlines, submission status, and queries. - Coordinate meetings and follow up on requested information before agreed deadlines.

**SOX Reporting**

• Maintain complete and accurate data for the Merchant SOX dashboard and status reporting. - Track open and overdue findings, testing, control failures, remediation progress, information requests, and recurring matters. - Prepare periodic status reports and analyses for Senior Manager review.

**Process Improvement**

• Identify control gaps, inefficient activities, duplicate controls, missing approvals, segregation-of-duties issues, weak evidence, and inconsistent practices. - Identify opportunities for system-enabled controls, standardization, and more efficient control execution. - Support the analysis and resolution of control problems, ensuring business owners approve and implement changes.

**Control Owner Support**

• Assist control owners in understanding control requirements, review frequencies, and escalation expectations. - Provide guidance on evidence retention and exception documentation. - Offer approved templates, examples, and guidance for consistent control execution without assuming ownership.

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**Candidate Profile**

• BCom Accounting, BCom Internal Audit, BCom Finance, or equivalent relevant degree. - Progress toward a relevant professional qualification such as CA(SA), CIA, or CISA is advantageous. - Approximately two to three years of relevant experience in external audit, internal audit, SOX, risk, internal controls, or finance controls. - Experience with financial services, fintech, payments, or high-volume transaction environments is advantageous. - Technical Skills: - Understanding of financial statement assertions, reporting risks, risk and control matrices, process walkthroughs, control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness. - Knowledge of risk-based testing, validation, reconciliations, management review controls, segregation of duties, ITGC concepts, audit evidence. - Strong Excel skills required; Power BI, Visio or process mapping tools, and GRC or SOX platform experience are advantageous.

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**Personal Characteristics**

• Highly organized and disciplined in follow-ups and record-keeping. - Comfortable with detail while understanding underlying processes and risks. - Analytically strong, curious, and willing to challenge appropriately. - Confident working across Finance, Operations, and Technology; able to engage stakeholders professionally. - Focused on practical, sustainable improvement and distinguishing evidence from explanation.

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**Development Path**

The role is designed to enhance Merchant's future internal controls capability. Potential progression includes Senior Analyst, Specialist, or Manager-level opportunities, based on organizational requirements, performance, and demonstrated capability. Progression will involve increasing responsibility for assigned SOX workstreams, with continued business management ownership of processes and controls.