Tinyiko Sekati
Johannesburg
Summary
Experienced and detail-oriented Credit Controller with over 8 years in credit control, debtors' management, and accounts receivable. Skilled in account reconciliation, collections, credit risk assessment, and customer service. Known for reducing outstanding debt and improving cash flow through proactive account management and efficient processes. Seeking to apply strong financial administration skills in a credit, debtors, or accounts receivable role within a dynamic finance team.
Overview
1
1
Certification
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Credit Controller / Debtors Clerk
Clarins
Rosebank
03.2020 - Current
- Managed and monitored a portfolio of 500+ customer accounts ensuring timely collection of outstanding balances.
- Reduced aged debt by 25% within six months through proactive client engagement and follow-ups.
- Performed reconciliations of customer accounts and generated monthly statements.
- Processed customer receipts, allocated payments, and issued invoices.
- Collaborated with the sales and legal teams to address defaulting clients and initiated legal proceedings when necessary.
- Assessed credit applications and monitored credit limits in accordance with company policy.
- Provided support with month-end closing and reporting activities.
- Ensure accurate and timely invoicing and allocation of payments.
- Monitor outstanding receivables and age them by days past due (e.g., 0-30, 31-60, 61-90, 90+).
- Produce regular AR aging reports and trends for management.
- Evaluate new and existing customers' creditworthiness using financial statements, credit bureau reports, trade references, and internal scoring models.
- Set and review credit limits and payment terms based on risk assessments.
- Recommend approvals, declines, or conditions for credit extension.
- Proactively contact customers to follow up on overdue invoices via email, phone, and formal letters.
- Negotiate payment plans, settlements, or extended terms when necessary.
- Investigate and resolve billing disputes quickly with internal teams (sales, billing, operations) to avoid payment delays.
- Identify high-risk accounts for closer monitoring; escalate to management if necessary.
- Recommend and implement credit insurance, guarantees, letters of credit, or deposits where appropriate.
- Prepare provisions for doubtful debts and support write-off processes in line with policy.
- Maintain and present key metrics: Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), collection effectiveness index, overdue balances, and credit utilization.
- Provide monthly/quarterly reporting to finance leadership with trends, exposures, and suggested actions.
- Support forecasting of cash receipts and working capital requirements.
- Liaise with Sales to align on credit decisions, terms, and collection strategies while protecting customer relationships.
- Work with Legal for contract reviews, debt recovery, and escalation to collections or litigation when needed.
- Coordinate with Treasury for cash application and forecasting.
- Set KPIs and performance targets.
- Design credit strategy, approve high-value limits, and manage portfolio concentration risk.
- Strong numeracy, analytical, and negotiation skills.
- Experience with Syspro /Accpac systems and MS Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs).
- Knowledge of credit risk assessment techniques and financial statement analysis.
- Prior experience in B2B collections or corporate credit roles.
Bookkeeper
Sondor Industrial
12.2018 - 02.2020
- Managed collections for over 120 customer accounts with a book value of R18 million.
- Prepared and processed credit notes, profit and loss statements, journals, and monthly reports.
- Allocated payments and managed petty cash and accrual records.
- Processed credit invoices for head office payment and handled vehicle disc renewals.
Credit Collector Officer
ITEC SA
08.2016 - 09.2017
- Responsible for collections and payment allocations on accounts totaling R20 million.
- Ensured debit order clients processed monthly service payments within hours of default.
- Completed daily payment reconciliations and allocations.
- Maintained accurate debtor records and provided general administrative support.
- Handled government, school, and corporate accounts in the printing and scanning sector.
Credit Controller
Avon & Justine (Pty) Ltd
04.2014 - 07.2016
- Reviewed and released daily orders while monitoring bad debt and fraud risks.
- Maintained the debtor's ledger and managed credit limits to minimize financial exposure.
- Issued letters for credit and cash accounts, closed accounts, and prepared paid-up letters.
- Worked closely with reps and sales managers to resolve account issues in a high-volume environment.
Credit Controller
Halewood International
Benoni
04.2011 - 07.2013
- Collected and followed up on outstanding payments from corporate and depot customers.
- Maintained client accounts, resolved invoice queries, and issued credit notes for damaged, expired, or overstocked items.
- Handled daily banking, filed invoices, and managed G4/SBV cash collections.
- Prepared and posted journals, removed customers from suspense, and managed depot accounts.
- Operated the switchboard and sent demand letters.
- Processed promotion journals and managed internal filing systems.
Accounts Receivable / Junior Credit Controller
The Cold Chain
City Deep
03.2005 - 07.2011
- Tracked overdue accounts and followed up with clients for payments.
- Assisted in preparing credit reports and maintained accurate client records.
- Reconciled discrepancies and resolved queries in a timely manner.
- Prepared daily and monthly cash flow reports.
- Updated debtor ledgers and supported account administration tasks.
Education
Credit Management -
Damelin
01-2007
Skills
- Credit Control & Collections
- Debtors Ledger Management
- Accounts Receivable Processing
- Account Reconciliation
- Billing & Invoicing
- Allocation of Receipts
- Cashflow Monitoring
- Month-End Reporting
- Query Resolution
- Sage / Pastel / Syspro
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Attention to Detail
- Administrative Accuracy
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Financial Reporting Support
Certification
- Introduction to Credit Management - Damelin
- Sage / Pastel Accounting Training - Damelin
References
Available upon request.
Timeline
Credit Controller / Debtors Clerk
Clarins
03.2020 - Current
Bookkeeper
Sondor Industrial
12.2018 - 02.2020
Credit Collector Officer
ITEC SA
08.2016 - 09.2017
Credit Controller
Avon & Justine (Pty) Ltd
04.2014 - 07.2016
Credit Controller
Halewood International
04.2011 - 07.2013
Accounts Receivable / Junior Credit Controller
The Cold Chain
03.2005 - 07.2011
Credit Management -
Damelin