Cheslyn Jacobs Email & Phone Number

South Africa

As Chief Commercial Officer at TymeBank, I lead our mission to redefine banking in South Africa by delivering growth through customer-focused, inclusive, and innovative financial solutions. My role involves overseeing all commercial operations and ensuring our products empower customers, bridge financial literacy gaps, and create real, lasting value. TymeBank’s success lies in its ability to disrupt traditional banking norms while designing solutions that address South Africa’s unique financial needs. This mission has been at the heart of my journey with TymeBank for the past decade. Starting as National Field Operations Manager, I was tasked with managing physical sales and service channels nationwide. My focus was on creating seamless interactions between physical and digital platforms and designing innovative distribution models that brought banking closer to underserved communities. As Head of Money Transfer, I built on this foundation by simplifying financial transactions, making them more accessible and convenient for customers. This role deepened my commitment to finding solutions to the financial challenges that many South Africans face daily. Later, as Head of Sales and Service, I led the development and execution of TymeBank’s national strategy. My team and I worked to create transformative service models that blended physical and digital banking experiences, ensuring every interaction was simple, accessible, and impactful. These efforts helped establish TymeBank as a trusted financial partner for millions. From designing alternative banking systems to fostering a more inclusive financial future, my journey at TymeBank has been defined by a commitment to empowering South Africans. Together, we are proving that banking can go beyond transactions - it can create opportunities, transform lives, and inspire progress.

Johannesburg

As Head of Sales and Services, I was responsible for designing, building, and scaling TymeBank’s sales and distribution capabilities to deliver impactful, customer-focused banking solutions across South Africa. This included leading the development and execution of the bank’s sales strategy and collaborating closely with strategy teams to commercialise our products and services effectively. Working in partnership with a diverse network of sales partners, I scaled TymeBank’s distribution network to over 1,000 points of presence nationwide, ensuring accessible banking services for millions. Under my leadership, TymeBank achieved the significant milestone of reaching over 5 million customers, with each million added faster than the million before. In addition to driving growth, I prioritised social impact. One of the most rewarding aspects of my role was creating over 3 000 opportunities for previously unemployed youth, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to the financial sector and their communities. I also oversaw the management of TymeBank’s customer care centre, ensuring that every customer interaction reflected our commitment to simplicity, transparency, and excellence. This role combined strategy, execution, and impact. It cemented TymeBank’s position as a leader in inclusive and accessible banking.

As Head of Money Transfer, I led the launch and growth of TymeBank’s Money Transfer service, ensuring its success across our partner environments. My role involved designing and overseeing the sales strategy, as well as crafting and implementing go-to-market (GTM) strategies to drive adoption and engagement. Through these efforts, we successfully acquired over 3 million new customers, a milestone that demonstrated the effectiveness of our customer-focused approach and strategic execution. This role not only contributed to TymeBank’s rapid growth but also highlighted the importance of accessible, innovative financial solutions in meeting the needs of South Africans.

Rosebank, Johannesburg

As National Field Operations Manager, I was responsible for establishing and scaling TymeBank’s distribution network across South Africa, ensuring that banking services were accessible to communities nationwide. This involved building a network of over 1 000 points of presence and optimising distribution strategies to maximise reach and operational efficiencies. I led the implementation and management of sales strategies, aligning them with TymeBank’s mission to deliver impactful, customer-centric solutions. In this role, I built and managed a multidisciplinary team spread across the country, ensuring seamless execution at every level. This role laid the foundation for TymeBank’s nationwide operations, combining strategic foresight, operational excellence, and a commitment to delivering accessible banking solutions to all South Africans.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

At TYME, our mission was simple but transformative: to make banking as accessible to the unbanked and underbanked as mobile communication. Launched in 2012, TYME partnered with MTN, Pick n Pay, and Boxer stores to bring banking services to millions of South Africans, delivering simplicity, affordability, and convenience on a mass scale. As the leader responsible for Distribution and Training, my role was to ensure that our offering reached consumers in the most effective and efficient way possible. This involved not only managing the widespread distribution of our services but also equipping the teams delivering these solutions with the skills and knowledge they needed to succeed. By focusing on education and empowerment, I ensured that those on the frontlines could communicate the full value and benefits of our products to every customer. This role deepened my understanding of the intersection between access and impact. It reinforced my belief in creating solutions that don’t just reach people but transform their lives. TYME was more than a banking platform - it was a movement toward financial inclusion that brought essential services closer to those who needed them most.

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

The four years I spent at Standard Bank was a defining chapter in my career. From the Graduate Development Program to leadership roles in business operations and education, I gained invaluable insights into the banking industry and honed the skills that have defined my journey in financial empowerment.In my early roles I focused on providing advisory services to business partners, managing recruitment processes, and handling disciplinary enquiries. These responsibilities equipped me with essential skills in stakeholder management and operational efficiency, which I carried forward into my later roles.As a Business Manager, I worked closely with senior leadership, supporting strategic initiatives, managing stakeholder relationships, and coordinating key projects. This role deepened my understanding of organisational strategy and my ability to navigate complex business environments effectively.Transitioning to Consumer Education Manager, I developed a passion for financial literacy, leading initiatives to empower customers with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions. This role aligned with my belief in the transformative power of education and its ability to drive long-term impact.In my final role at Standard Bank as Business Support Manager, I took on more responsibilities, developing strategies to optimise channel operations, supporting staff through change management, and ensuring compliance with legislation. I worked closely with risk management teams, oversaw reporting frameworks, and contributed to the efficient allocation of resources to meet sales and service targets. This role solidified my expertise in operational strategy and my ability to deliver results in high-pressure environments.My time at Standard Bank laid the groundwork for my future leadership roles, instilling in me a commitment to excellence, a passion for financial empowerment, and a deep understanding of the banking industry’s potential to drive meaningful change.

Duties include but are not limited to: Provision of direct support to business unit director Stakeholder relationship management Diary and Document Management Various report compilation and submission Research HR and Supply Chain representative Coordination of all specific strategic activities

Duties include but are not limited to: Provision of advisory service to business partners Reports Recruitment Disciplinary enquiries Generalist HR functions

Duties include but are not limited to: Export & Import documentation Reports Liaising with European counterparts Ensuring vessels are correctly loaded

Duties include but are not limited to: Providing software and hardware support to students

Pdba, General Management (Economics, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Hr And Accounting)

Post Graduate Diploma, General Management; Industrial Psychology And Economics

Subjects: Organisational Behaviour, Micro Economics, Innovation and Design, Personal & Organisational Effectiveness*, Financial.

Bachelor Of Commerce (Bcom), Industrial And Organizational Psychology