Manager: Group Communications: Corporate Affairs and Sustainability

Date: 28 May 2026

Location:

Bellville, Western Cape, ZA

Company: Sanlam Group

Who are we?

Sanlam was established as a life insurance company in South Africa but has since transformed into a diversified financial services group that operates across the African continent, India, Malaysia and selected developed markets, with listings on the Johannesburg, A2X and Namibian stock exchanges. In 2018 the Group celebrated its centenary as well as 20 years since demutualisation and listing in South Africa and Namibia. Sanlam is one of the largest internationally active insurance groups in the world with a presence in 30 countries and has the biggest non-banking financial services footprint on the African continent.

The Group's four business clusters (Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz and Santam) house the Group's business operations. The Group Office provides strategic direction and support to the five clusters, assisting them in realising their strategies and meeting their business objectives. The Group Office is responsible for governance and for the Group's centralised functions, which include: Finance, Actuarial, Risk and Balance Sheet Management, Strategy, Human Capital, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.

What will you do?

This role forms part of Group Communications, reporting to the Senior Manager: Group Internal Communication. It partners with stakeholders across the business to develop and execute communication plans aligned to the Group Communications strategy, while strengthening internal brand and reputation.

Manage internal communications

Oversee internal communication channels to keep employees informed and engaged.
Apply an integrated approach to optimise channel mix and drive engagement.
Manage communication requests and stakeholders to deliver a strong employee experience.

Develop and drive communication approaches

Support implementation of the Group Communications strategy, particularly internal communications.
Develop targeted communication plans for key stakeholders and audiences.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the function’s strategic advisory role.
Stay up to date with communication trends and best practices.

Craft compelling communications

Produce clear, engaging content across multiple platforms (articles, speeches, video, newsletters, social media).
Generate content ideas and coordinate interviews and execution.
Support and execute staff events, including pre-, during, and post-event communications.

Build stakeholder relationships

Partner with internal clients, including senior leaders, to strengthen collaboration.
Manage external agencies to drive efficiency and expertise.
Promote positive internal coverage of business initiatives.
Analyse communication data and share insights to support strategic objectives.
Enhance the reputation and influence of the Internal Communications function.

Monitor and measure effectiveness

Track communication performance using metrics and feedback.
Evaluate impact and recommend improvements and innovations

Due to system limitations, the full job specification could not be included. For access to the complete job profile, please contact Danielle.Houtzamer@sanlam.co.za

What will make you successful in this role?

Ability to develop strategic partnerships among Group Communications’ clients.
Understanding of strategic challenges within the business.
Ability to recommend and provide relevant communication interventions to support internal stakeholders.
Manage and coordinates strategies and plan for internal communications activities
Able to lead and manage communications colleagues.
Able to be agile and juggle multiple tasks at once, often handling ad-hoc or urgent requests that can be sensitive and require calm, strategic smarts.

Qualification and Experience

Degree or Diploma in Journalism, Communication, Marketing or related qualification.
8 to 10 years related experience

Competencies

Strong skills in communication strategy development and implementation.
Ability to apply creative concepts in written and visual communication.
Knowledge and proficiency in usage of various digital communication platforms.
Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Effective collaboration with individuals at all levels within the company.
A high degree of customer orientation and a clear focus on results.
Proactive identification of communication opportunities.
Excellent organisational skills, a team-oriented attitude, the ability to meet deadlines, and effective prioritisation of tasks from various sources.
Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in a clear journalistic style.
A meticulous team player and proactive individual with a results-driven mindset.

Knowledge and Skills

Strategic leadership and engagement

Create Communication Strategy/plan (both internal and external)

Execute Communication Strategy/plan

Content generation, editing and copywriting

Assists in budgeting, expense management of communications budget

Personal Attributes

Communicates effectively - Contributing through others

Manages complexity - Contributing through others

Plans and aligns - Contributing through others

Business insight - Contributing through others

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.

Core Competencies

Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others

Customer focus - Contributing through others

Drives results - Contributing through others

Collaborates - Contributing through others

Being resilient - Contributing through others

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.

The application closing date is 04 June 2026.

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.