Junior Data Scientist

Date: 16 Jul 2026

Location:

Bellville, Western Cape, ZA

Company: Sanlam Group

Who are we?

Sanlam GoTyme is a strategic financial services partnership that brings together Sanlam's trusted expertise in insurance, credit and financial wellness with GoTyme's innovative digital banking capabilities to create a seamless, client-centred financial ecosystem. By integrating banking, credit, rewards, savings and protection solutions into a single experience, we aim to empower South Africans to manage their financial lives more effectively while building long-term financial confidence, loyalty and prosperity. Our purpose is not only to provide financial products, but to create meaningful value through accessible, digitally enabled solutions that support clients at every stage of their financial journey.

What will you do?

This role sits within the SanlamGOTyme business and is ideal for a quantitative analyst with a background in credit risk modelling and analytics who is passionate about using data to drive better credit decisions and business outcomes. Working closely with business and technical stakeholders, you will develop, enhance, and implement analytical solutions across the credit risk lifecycle. You will leverage advanced statistical techniques, data analytics, and programming expertise to solve complex business challenges, generate actionable insights from large datasets, and support strategic decision-making.

What will make you successful in this role?

The successful candidate will have:

A strong understanding of the end-to-end credit risk lifecycle and the application of analytics to support business decisions.
Experience in pricing, profitability analysis and portfolio analytics will be advantageous.
Strong programming skills in SQL.
Experience in Python is preferred. Candidates with strong SAS programming experience and a demonstrated ability to transition to Python are encouraged to apply.
Strong statistical modelling, data analysis and problem-solving skills.
Experience working with large, complex datasets and transforming data into meaningful business insights.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to explain complex analytical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualification and Experience

Honours degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Actuarial Science, Quantitative Risk Management or another closely related quantitative discipline.
A Master's degree in a quantitative field (such as Quantitative Risk Management, Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science or Actuarial Science) will be advantageous.
2–3 years' experience in credit risk analytics or credit risk modelling.

Knowledge and Skills

New technologies and methodologies

Data Collection

Data Mining

IT Data Analysis

Advanced analytics to address business requirements

Personal Attributes

Interpersonal savvy - Contributing independently

Decision quality - Contributing independently

Optimises work processes - Contributing independently

Plans and aligns - Contributing independently

Core Competencies

Being resilient - Contributing independently

Collaborates - Contributing independently

Cultivates innovation - Contributing independently

Customer focus - Contributing independently

Drives results - Contributing independently

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.