LAND BANK VACANCIES

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AGRICULTURE SPECIALIST: ORIGINATION – POLOKWANE
 
Details
Closing Date: 2024/01/30
Reference Number: LAN240118-2
Job Title: Agriculture Specialist: Origination - Polokwane
Division: Commercial Development Banking
Unit: Commercial Development Banking
Job Type Classification: Permanent
Location – Country: South Africa
Location – Province: Limpopo
Location - Town / City: Polokwane
 
Job Advert Summary  
The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) is South Africa’s only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank’s sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.
 
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To provide a professional agriculture, economics and technical specialist service to support the Province to effectively evaluate the business case viability of financing customers, including conducting on-site visits to familiarise the Bank with the business operations in which the Bank will be investing its funds, with the additional objective of minimising potential risks and financial losses. Provide ongoing technical advice to the provincial team to ensure submission of high quality of applications
 
Key Performance Areas       
1. Specialist Inputs into Business Case Viability

• Provide specialist support to Commercial Bankers to enable the structuring of appropriate financial solutions and feasible transactions.
• Complete and submit detailed reports as part of a comprehensive assessment of potential business transactions, including
• As part of the assessment process, undertake amongst others:
• Determine the development phase of the farming venture and conditions of the infrastructure, management skills, topography, accessibility, development potential of the farm, grazing component and carrying capacity and any other relevant general conditions.
• Responsible for conducting the required valuation of the entity’s assets through an on-site visit to the business property to evaluate the viability of financing customers, based on the strength of their assets.
• Inspect crops on the land and calculate the net realisation and impact on financial position.
• Determine the realisable value movable assets Identify and locate security offered.
• Determine the value of buildings and other improvements and contribution towards production value
• Calculate the production value and related loan value based on the information gathered.
• Determine justification of applicants’ financing requests.
• Make recommendations regarding the merit of financing requests, the appropriate terms and conditions.

 
2. Provincial Agricultural Knowledge Database and Knowledge Sharing

• Collect, process, and package information within the allocated area of responsibility, including amongst others, the determination of the following:
• Market value of property
• Production costs
• Establishment costs
• Profit margins
• Produce prices
• Market trends
• Economic patterns
• Potential of land
• Keep the database up to date as appropriate and share at a divisional level
• Contribute information to the national agricultural specialists’ database
• Ensure availability and access to identified users.
• Transfer knowledge to the team to empower them in understanding the technical context.

 
3. Customer and Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Build, foster and maintain consistent, effective and strong relationships with key role players and strengthen relationships with the potential to secure new business opportunities for the bank.
• Participate in agriculture events in the province, and contribute to research and insights as a subject matter specialist respected by peers in the industry.
• Represent Land Bank in appropriate forums and events as appropriate.
• Ensure that all stakeholders remain aware of the value of the Land Bank’s products, the processes and principles related to agricultural financing within the Land Bank environment.
• Stay up to date with provincial initiatives and developments and further strengthen the relationship to assess further business opportunities to promote long term mutually beneficial relationships

 
Preferred Minimum Education and Experience       

• A relevant 3 year qualification in Agriculture or an equivalent
• 5 years experience in Agricultural Extension Services or
• 5 years experience in Agricultural businesses, a Co-op, or similar organisations

 
Critical Competencies

• Microsoft Office
• Knowledge / Experience of financial and business analytical principles, tools and systems
• Property Valuation Principles
• Agricultural Economics
• Risk Management Principles
• Lending / Credit Assessment Principles
• Financial and Business Acumen

 
Additional Requirements

• Extended hours as and when required
• Travel as and when required
• Needs to keep abreast with agricultural economic trends

 
 
Policy
Preference will be given to suitably qualified Applicants who are members of the designated groups in line with the Employment Equity Plan and Targets of the Land Bank.
 
PLEASE APPLY HERE
 
 
 
 

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COMMERCIAL BANKER - MODIMOLLE
Details
Closing Date: 2024/01/30
Reference Number: LAN240118-1
Job Title: Commercial Banker - Modimolle
Division: Commercial Development Banking
Unit: Commercial Development Banking
Job Type Classification: Permanent
Location – Country: South Africa
Location – Province: Limpopo
Location - Town / City: Modimolle
 
Job Advert Summary  
The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) is South Africa’s only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank’s sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.
 
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
Markets Land Bank products and services to existing clients or new clients with the aim of growing the direct lending Loan Book. On the receipt of client interest views past performance of clients and assess potential of the deal. Advises clients on the requirements for applications and sends pack through for completion. For viable deals visits clients and performs an analysis on the institution/organisation of a new potential transaction. Acquires all documentation prior to deal structuring. Works in consultation with members of the Origination team in the Provincial Office and the Credit Analysts in Head Office to construct the deal. To provide recommendations on the viability of the loan application based on analysis and interpretation of, amongst others:

• Management shareholding structure, organisational structure
• Governance matters
• Competitive advantage
• Value proposition
• Distribution channels

 
Key Performance Areas       
1. Sales Targets and Client Interactions

• Reviews targets set and plans approach to achieving goals
• Plans for client canvassing approaches on a weekly basis
• Presents the land Bank to prospective clients via presentations, farmers unions etc.
• Educates the community regarding the products and services provided by the Land Bank
• Identifies potential clients and follows up on interest
• Deals with client queries as the first point of contact and resolves issues
• Meets with current clients to review services provided and determine if there is an additional sales opportunity

 
2. New Client Reviews and Application Advice

• Reviews clients requests for potential applications
• Determines past performance of clients and level of potential business
• Should client appear viable commence advisory service on application process and requirements
• Review of initial application or assist clients with requirements particularly for emerging farmers
• Advise on elements of the application such as business plans, planting cycles and farm set ups
• Advise clients on governance and legislative requirements that may impact business such water permit rights for irrigation and environmental assessments

 
3. Institutional Assessment

• For viable or potential clients conduct full institutional assessments
• Assess clients management expertise, experience and skill mix
• Shareholding structure and assessment of individual shareholders as well as project operating structure
• Organisational structure and the extent to which it supports strategy execution
• Governance set up, board of directors, board committees and charters, complementarity of board skill mix, etc.
• Adequacy of human capital in terms of numbers and skill base. Human capital plan and strategy
• Organisational policies, procedures, systems, processes, internal control environment, etc.

 
4. Finalising Proposed Loan Application

• Prepares final loan application to present to the Credit Committee
• Conducts all checks and addresses defaults with clients
• Gather all relevant documentation and review all information to determine financial robustness
• Actively engage and collaborate with Risk Management (Credit) throughout the deal structuring process to ensure alignment, strengthen the quality of the application, and positively influence the efficiency of the approval processes and deal outcome
• If deal is approved sell to client including terms and conditions, interest rates

 
5. Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Adopt a customer service ethos.
• Build, foster and maintain consistent, effective and strong relationships with existing and new clients within the allocated portfolio
• Follow the operational plan to ensure a consistent and meaningful customer visitation programme, including onsite farm visits.
• Keep all stakeholders regularly informed of the status of the projects and, or transaction/s.
• Log all interactions with clients and relevant role players for reference purposes, log complaints and compliments as per policy procedures and ensure that required action is taken
• Identify the relevant role players in accordance with business requirements and dependencies.
• Support national and localised sales campaigns.

 
6. Compliance and Risk Management

• Escalate issues of concern or risk to the relevant parties and line management. Consistently keep track of loan application process and progress.
• Provide feedback to the line manager on progress and specific problem areas.

 
7. Business and Team Support

• Work collaboratively with Business Analyst, Agriculture Specialist: Origination, Credit and Portfolio Management to address matters and review complex transactions thereby mitigating any potential risk and ensure that the required results for the allocated portfolio are achieved.
• Ensure the conclusion of agreed terms and agreements working in collaboration with the Conveyancer and Intermediaries as applicable. Provide appropriate input to conveyancer and/or intermediaries for the conclusion of the financing agreements.
• Attend team meetings and contribute meaningfully to integrate and align on current and future activities
• Escalate issues of concern or risk to the relevant parties and line management.
• Attend to ad-hoc requests from management and contribute to departmental success.

 
Preferred Minimum Education and Experience

• Relevant 3 year qualification in commerce, business, banking, or other relevant and equivalent qualifications
• 3-5 years experience in the management of client relationships, preferably in a financial and customer facing environment.
• 1-2 years knowledge to assess a business case for an agricultural farming business and the competency to interpret financial statements, and do financial calculations.
• 3 years knowledge of credit principles and practices and relevant legislation.

 
Critical Competencies

• Microsoft Office
• Analytical Skills
• Customer Service Orientation
• Financial / Business Acumen
• Agricultural Industry
• Organisational analysis and market evaluation
• Strategy analysis and governance assessments
• Credit Risk assessment
• Structuring of Corporate and Commercial transactions

 
Additional Requirements

• Valid SA driver's license
• Willing to travel extensively
• Extended hours as and when required

 
Policy
Preference will be given to suitably qualified Applicants who are members of the designated groups in line with the Employment Equity Plan and Targets of the Land Bank.
 
PLEASE APPLY HERE