Junior Data Analyst - Finance

Company Overview

Lesaka is a leading South African financial technology company. We deliver financial services to consumers (B2C) and merchants (B2B) in Southern Africa through our proprietary banking and payment technologies. We offer banking, lending and insurance products to consumers and cash management solutions, bill payment technologies, value-added services, business funding and card acquiring solutions to formal and informal retail merchants.

Role Purpose

The Junior Data Analyst supports the Finance department by building and maintaining financial models, dashboards, and management reports that translate raw data into clear, decision-ready insights. The role focuses on financial modelling, data visualisation, and recurring reporting cycles, working closely with senior analysts and finance business partners to ensure information used for planning, budgeting, and performance monitoring is accurate, timely, and well presented.

This position offers a strong foundation in financial analysis and reporting, with exposure to forecasting, variance analysis, and stakeholder engagement across the finance function.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Modelling & Analysis

• Build, update, and maintain financial models to support budgeting, forecasting, and scenario analysis.
• Assist with variance analysis, comparing actuals to budget/forecast and investigating key drivers.
• Support ad hoc financial analysis requests from senior management.
• Maintain data integrity and version control across models and supporting workbooks.

Reporting & Data Visualisation

• Design and maintain recurring management reports, dashboards, and scorecards for finance and business stakeholders.
• Build and refine visuals and dashboards using tools such as Power BI and/or Looker Studio to communicate financial performance clearly.
• Automate and streamline recurring reporting processes to improve turnaround time and accuracy.
• Ensure consistency of formatting, definitions, and data sources across reports and dashboards.

Data Analytics & Technology Enablement

• Write and optimise queries using SQL to extract and structure data from finance and operational systems.
• Support analytics and reporting automation using Excel-based tools.
• Work with Google Cloud Console (including BigQuery) to source, query, and consolidate data for reporting.
• Partner with data and technology teams to improve data quality, structure, and accessibility for finance reporting.

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Support

• Prepare clear summaries, commentary, and presentation materials for management and governance forums.
• Respond to stakeholder queries on financial data, reports, and dashboards in a timely and professional manner.

Process & Control Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and automation of financial reporting processes.
• Document reporting processes, data sources, and model logic to support knowledge continuity and audit readiness.
• Support the implementation of new reporting tools, templates, and process enhancements.

Key Competencies & Skills

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong financial modelling and Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, and scenario/sensitivity analysis.
• Working knowledge of SQL for data extraction and manipulation.
• Proficiency in data visualisation tools such as Power BI and/or Looker Studio.
• Exposure to Python for data analysis and reporting automation is advantageous.
• Working knowledge of Google Cloud Console (including BigQuery) for accessing and querying finance data.
• Good understanding of financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting concepts.

Behavioural & Professional Skills

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable visuals and insights.
• Good communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Eagerness to learn, take ownership, and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Able to manage multiple reporting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications & Experience

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Analytics, Data Science, or a related field.
• 0-2 years' experience in a finance, reporting, or business analysis role (graduate/junior level).
• Solid Excel skills and a basic working knowledge of SQL.

Advantageous

• Exposure to Power BI, Looker Studio, or similar business intelligence tools.
• Internship or vacation work experience within a finance, banking, or fintech environment.
• Basic exposure to Python or other scripting languages for data analysis.