Khuthala Sihlangu

Key Responsibilities:

Relationship Management

• Engage and collaborate with clients across the Commercial Premium Segment.
• Deliver tailored banking solutions to Financial Institutions (FI), Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFI), Commercial, Growth, High Value, and SME segments.
  

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships with Bankers, Relationship Analysts, Operations (Payments, Trade, Guarantees, Electronic Banking), Credit, FX Sales, Exchange Control, and Legal teams.
• Ensure seamless coordination to meet client needs effectively.
  

Trade & Transaction Solutions

• Support clients with registration and issuance of Letters of Credit, Guarantees, and Escrow accounts.
• Ensure smooth execution of trade and transactional processes.
  

Product Solutions & Advisory

• Provide tailored advisory on domestic offerings: Electronic Banking Payments, Online and Debicheck Collections, Information Services, Host and API integration.
• Deliver international solutions: FX hedging, Foreign Currency Accounts, International Trade Platforms, Documentary Trade, and Escrow services.
  

Working Capital & Trade Finance

• Identify client needs and introduce opportunities for Trade Finance and Receivable Finance solutions in partnership with the Working Capital team.
  

Regulatory Advisory

• Provide guidance on Exchange Control matters in collaboration with specialists.
• Advise clients on requirements for purchasing Foreign Currency and Travel Cards.
  

Opportunity Identification

• Analyze client financial cycles to proactively identify growth opportunities.
• Recommend appropriate banking solutions to drive client success.
  

New Client Acquisition & Business Development

• Drive New-to-Bank (NTB) acquisitions through cold calling, referrals, and industry expos.
• Partner with Coverage, CAF, and CPF teams to identify and convert new business opportunities.
  

Client Retention & Growth

• Cross-sell and up-sell financial products to existing clients.
• Deliver end-to-end solutions tailored to client needs.
  

Digital Solutions

• Promote and implement digital platforms to enhance client experience.
• Drive adoption and activation for seamless transactions.

Key Responsibilities:

Pricing Strategy & Revenue Management

• Develop and manage international payments pricing strategy.
• Deliver annual pricing updates and monitor revenue leakage.
• Oversee product-related MIS reporting.
  

Product & Channel Development

• Build and manage product and channel collateral.
• Lead digital migration strategy to enhance efficiency and adoption.
• Drive product enhancements and conduct gap analyses for new offerings.
  

Financial & Performance Oversight

• Own product profit and loss, managing the income statement in close collaboration with Sales.
• Ensure timely, budget-compliant delivery of projects aligned with quality standards.
• Monitor overall product health through metrics, MIS, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  

Stakeholder Engagement & Value Chain Facilitation

• Coordinate across the entire product value chain.
• Establish and lead a payments working group with internal stakeholders.
• Provide marketing and sales support for product launches and enhancements.
  

Risk & Incident Management

• Manage incidents effectively to minimize disruption.
• Partner with compliance, risk, and legal teams to ensure regulatory alignment.
  

International Banking Specialists, Regional Sales Managers, Relationship Executives, Payment Operations, Client Support, Onboarding Teams, Pricing, Digital, Technical, Change Management, Financial Compliance, Risk Managers, Legal, Project Teams, Transactional Bankers, and Markets.

Reason for Leaving:
Seeking opportunities for growth and career development, with a focus on expanding responsibilities, enhancing expertise, and contributing to broader strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Support

• Provide guidance and support to subordinates, co-Team Lead, Client Managers (South Africa and Angola), Relationship Managers, KYC Analysts, and Associates.
• Ensure timely onboarding of new relationships and periodic KYC reviews in line with policy and regulatory standards.
• Deliver scheduled training sessions to keep staff updated on policy changes.
  

Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Provide daily and weekly reporting to Senior Management, including the Country Head of CIB South Africa, CIB Head in Angola, and Global Head of COBAM.
• Schedule and conduct weekly and monthly status meetings with CIB Relationship Managers in South Africa and Angola.
• Attend FCC (Financial Crime & Compliance) meetings and liaise with Country Head and Country Risk Manager.
  

Escalation & Risk Management

• Act as the escalation point for unresolved KYC due diligence, new-to-bank onboarding, and static data maintenance issues across India, South Africa, Singapore, and global COBAM teams.
• Implement effective risk management policies and escalate overdue cases to control teams.
• Report and comment on risk-related issues raised at Group level.
  

Process Improvement & Client Experience

• Identify opportunities to improve turnaround times (TAT) to enhance client experience and reduce dependency on Relationship and Client Managers.
• Collaborate closely with the Review team in India to address challenges and streamline processes.
• Facilitate end-to-end processes across the CDD and GIC value chain, ensuring SLA compliance.
  

Client Liaison & Onboarding

• Work directly with clients to collate required KYC and onboarding documentation when escalations arise.
• Assist Relationship and Client Managers in meeting account opening TATs and completing KYC reviews on time.
  

Project & Operational Oversight

• Ensure all projects are initiated, executed according to standards, and completed within deadlines.
• Conduct daily analysis of CDD and GIC, escalating red flags and reporting findings to local and AME teams.
  

Internal Stakeholders

• Client Managers, Relationship Managers (South Africa, Angola, and across Africa), Operations, Client Experience Team, Account Services, FCC, Risk Managers, Sanctions Team, Project Teams, Transactional Bankers, and COBAM teams globally.

I was eager to transition into a challenging environment that fosters proactive thinking, supports innovation, and provides opportunities for growth and career development.

Key Responsibilities

Client & Stakeholder Support

• Provide support to Global Marketers, Outbound Service Managers, Relationship Bankers, Relationship Analysts, and Commercial/Retail clients by investigating, resolving, and monitoring escalated queries and complaints.
• Enhance customer interactions by delivering valued, quality service and maintaining strong relationships established by Relationship Managers and Global Marketers.
  

Escalation Management

• Act as the escalation point for unresolved queries and complaints related to inward and outward payments.
• Assist Relationship Bankers and Analysts in investigating CFC excess and resolving client issues.
  

Opportunity Identification & Lead Generation

• Identify opportunities and generate leads on behalf of Global Marketers.
• Provide product and service-related solutions to enhance client experience.
  

Risk & Compliance Oversight

• Implement effective risk management policies, processes, and procedures.
• Liaise with clients to collate required documentation for global inward and outward payment forms.
• Attend to queries related to Trade (Guarantees and Letters of Credit) in collaboration with Relationship Managers, Analysts, and Global Marketers.
  

Operational & Administrative Support

• Facilitate the issuing of bank statements to clients.
• Complete routine administration tasks, including logging queries and service failures on Siebel.
• Conduct problem-solving, payments analysis, and query resolution to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
  

Collaboration & Networking

• Build networks with internal and external stakeholders, including eForex Support Centre, eForex Payments Processing, Trade Processing, Guarantees Processing, Retail Banking Operations, and Commercial Payments teams.
• Work closely with internal teams to investigate challenges and explore opportunities to enhance service delivery.
  

Restructuring within the division resulted in a proposed role that did not align with my career path aspirations. I am seeking opportunities that better reflect my professional growth trajectory and long-term goals.

Key Responsibilities:

Client & Post-Transaction Support

• Provide post-support to FI customers by investigating, resolving, and monitoring escalated queries and complaints.
• Enhance customer interactions by delivering valued, quality service and maintaining strong relationships established by IFI.
  

KYC & Due Diligence

• Conduct KYC reviews and facilitate new client onboarding.
  Perform client due diligence in close collaboration with Financial Crime Compliance (FCC).
• Ensure effective risk management policies, processes, and procedures are implemented.
  

Trade & Credit Operations

• Obtain approvals for Letters of Credit and Guarantees.
• Work closely with the Trade team in issuing Guarantees and Letters of Credit.
• Facilitate credit applications and monitor exposures with the Credit team to reduce risk.
• Manage billing and revenue collection on unutilised facilities.
  

Operational & Administrative Support

• Monitor overdraft reports daily to mitigate risk.
• Facilitate account opening, closure, and amendments of account information.
• Issue audit certificates and bank statements to clients.
• Complete routine administration tasks to ensure smooth operations.
  

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Build networks with internal and external stakeholders, including Investor Services, Money Market, Absa’s branch network, TRO, TRI, IB Client Support, Vostro Client Services, Vostro Operations, Client Onboarding, Trade, FCC, Customer Support Centre, Legal, Mandates, Trade Solution Specialists, Electronic Banking Sales Managers, Credit Card Relationship Managers, Product, and JSE.
  

Problem Solving & Process Improvement

• Conduct problem-solving and analysis to address escalations.
• Investigate opportunities to improve service delivery and enhance operational efficiencies.
• Apply structured planning and decision-making to provide effective solutions.
  

Restructuring within the team led to changes in role responsibilities that no longer aligned with my career path aspirations. I am seeking opportunities that support growth, proactive thinking, and long-term professional development.

Key Responsibilities:

Client & Transactional Support

• Provide transactional support to corporate customers by investigating, resolving, and monitoring queries and complaints.
• Ensure timely settlement of FEC transactions and monitor payments to maintain service quality.
• Enhance customer interactions by delivering valued, quality service and maintaining strong relationships established by Relationship Executives, Relationship Support Managers, and Trade Solutions Specialists.
  

Query & Complaint Management

• Investigate post-transactional queries and complaints, acting as a trusted escalation point.
• Implement effective risk management policies, processes, and procedures to safeguard compliance.
  

Operational & Administrative Support

• Facilitate account opening, closing, and amendments, including administrational activities such as obtaining signatures and supporting credit approval processes.
• Complete routine administration tasks, including logging queries and service failures.
  

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Build strong networks with internal and external stakeholders, including Custody and Treasury, TRO, TRI, IB Client Support, Client Onboarding, and local banks.
• Liaise closely with stakeholders to ensure smooth client onboarding and transactional processes.
  

Problem Solving & Process Improvement

• Conduct problem-solving and analysis to identify opportunities for improved service delivery.
• Explore ways to enhance operational efficiencies and streamline processes.
  

Planning & Decision-Making

• Apply structured planning and decision-making to provide effective solutions.
• Ensure processes are executed in line with policy and service standards.
  

Seeking growth and career development opportunities in a challenging environment that supports proactive thinking and professional advancement.

• To provide post transactional support to Vostro customers in investigating, resolving and monitoring queries and complaints. To enhance our interaction with our customers by providing them with valued, quality customer service, thus maintaining the relationship set up by IFI.
• Investigation of post transactional queries and complaints
• Understand and implement effective risk management policies, processes and procedures
• Account management to ensure efficient customer service and experience
• Build internal/external networks with stakeholders
• Problem solving and analysis engage with all role players including IT
• Monitor excess report and investigate the root cause engaging the FI team or the client
• To investigate and explore opportunities to improve service delivery and enhance operational efficiencies
• Complete administration tasks working with the Client On-boarding team
• Account opening, perform administrational activities, closing accounts, amendments of account information
• Liaise closely with internal stakeholders such as, Custody and Investor Services, Money Market, IFI, Absa’s branch network, TRO, TRI, IB Client Support, Client On-boarding
• Planning and organising, Decision making, Providing solutions
• Reason for Leaving: Growth and career development

• Providing support services to Relationship managers and Account Executives from Corporate Investment and Business banking in reaching set targets.
• Assist clients with new and additional credit card applications
• Ensure that credit limits are in place
• Liaise with the Call Centre, Back Office and New applications regarding escalated queries
• Maintain and establish relationships with all internal stakeholders such as New Business, Call Centre, Back Office, Courier, Dispatch, Corporate Bankers, Relationship Managers, IT department
• Assist Relationship Managers with presentations and product guides
• Assist with escalated queries from clients and ensure that they are resolves and the quality of service is maintained.
• Analysis, new development and enhancements of products working closely with the product team
• Sales and usage campaigns
• Providing support to relevant field agents to sell business credit cards
• Supporting the credit card needs of Optima Segment; and managing corporate card content on all relevant internal and external channels
• Offer product training to the retention team
• Product training to Call Centre, Back Office, Retention
• Reason for Leaving: Development and Growth within the Corporate Environment

• Supervising a team in achieving business objectives
• Leading a team of consultants in fulfilling back-office support to the Call Centre.
• Managing the team in providing customers with quality service responding to their queries and account maintenance.
• Quality checks on the output, training, mentoring, reporting team’s performance.
• Administrative duties including leave schedules, coaching and supporting team.
• Conducting performance evaluations, interviews, managing the overall performance and conduct of employees.
• Reason for Leaving: Growth and development

• Provide service to corporate customers (back and front office)
• Credit card authorization consultant, taking calls on customers requesting authorization for credit card transactions at a point of sale. Provision of balances and available credit for purchases.
• Act on requests received from clients via faxes, telephone, e-mail to increase credit card limits. Capture limits on the system and provide confirmation.
• Capturing of new corporate credit card applications. Ensure quality, accuracy in processing client information within the set time frame.
• Call Centre agent, taking calls from clients and branches on all account and product related matters. Maintaining a high level of quality services and professionalism. Assisting with debit order, statement requests, training and guiding clients on the products.
• Reason for Leaving: Promotion