What we need from you
- Minimum 5 years in a full-function bookkeeping or accounts controller role in freight forwarding or clearing — this is a hard requirement, not a preference
- Hands-on with Sage Pastel and Shipshape (or similar freight software like CargoWise)
- Comfortable with USD and EUR transactions
- SimplePay experience is a plus
- A bookkeeping qualification helps, but we'll back proven experience over paper every time
- English fluency; Afrikaans is a bonus
Let's be straight with you — this is not a data-capturing job with a fancy title.
We're a freight forwarding and clearing company in Cape Town, and we need someone who can actually run a full accounting function. Debtors. Creditors. Cashbook. Payroll. Foreign currency. Multiple bank accounts. If that's genuinely what you do every day and you do it well — read on.
What the job involves
You'll report directly to the CFO and own the day-to-day finance function. If money moves in or out of this business, it goes through you.
- Full debtors function: COD, 7-day, 14-day and 30-day accounts. Send statements, chase payments (firmly but nicely), manage the age analysis, and handle our FNB Debtor Finance facility submissions weekly
- Full creditors function: capture supplier invoices in Shipshape daily, reconcile statements weekly, prepare payment batches for CFO sign-off, manage COD invoices within 24 hours, send remittances to local and foreign agents
- Cashbook and banking: daily bank recons across 7+ accounts (ZAR and foreign), allocate receipts, keep Shipshape and Pastel in balance, troubleshoot discrepancies
- Payroll: monthly processing on SimplePay, EMP201 prep and submission, VAT support
- Month-end: foreign currency revaluations, open item allocations, trial balance ready for CFO review
The kind of person who'll thrive here
You don't wait to be told. You see an unreconciled account and it bothers you until it's fixed. You can chase a client for a 60-day overdue invoice and still keep the relationship intact. Month-end pressure doesn't break your stride — if anything, it's when you're at your best.
We're a small team. Everyone pitches in. No one stands on ceremony about job titles.
To apply, send your CV to willmarie.vandermerwe@gmail.com — subject line: Accounts Controller Application — [Your Name].
We look forward to hearing from you.