Director of Licensing and Compliance (Relocation to Dubai or Malta/iGaming)

Requirements

• Licensed lawyer in South Africa with 8+ years dedicated to gaming licensing/compliance, with a strong focus on the South African market.
• 5+ years leading teams and budgets in a regulated gaming environment, with proven experience in South Africa.
• 8+ years in gaming regulation, including 5+ years in a senior-leadership capacity, with significant experience in the South African market.
• Demonstrated success securing licenses and passing regulator audits within South Africa.
• Deep knowledge of South African gaming technical standards, AML/CTF rules, responsible-gaming frameworks, and data-protection laws.
• Proven ability to influence senior regulators and industry associations in South Africa.
• Clear, concise communicator; fluent English mandatory; additional South African official languages (e.g., Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa) an asset.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute licensing strategy for the South African market; secure, renew, or expand all gaming licenses in South Africa.
• Own the regulatory roadmap for South Africa: track legislative changes, assess risk, and brief executives on impact and mitigation within the South African context.
• Lead audits within South African jurisdictions; ensure zero-finding outcomes and timely remediation.
• Direct regulator relations in South Africa: negotiate license conditions, respond to enquiries, and represent the company in hearings with South African authorities.
• Oversee technical certification with gaming labs for South African market requirements; sign off on system releases and change controls.
• Design and enforce company-wide policies (AML, KYC, RG, data, advertising) specifically tailored to South African legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Build and mentor a high-performing compliance team focused on South Africa; set KPIs, coach managers, and control headcount and budget.
• Provide board-level reporting on compliance posture, emerging risks, and corrective actions relevant to South Africa.
• Deliver internal training on regulatory obligations for product, operations, and marketing staff operating in South Africa.