Group Chief Technology Officer – Travel & Tourism Group

Johannesburg, South AfricaFull-timeExecutiveOn-sitePosted 26 Oct 2026

Job Overview

Kamo Placements is recruiting a Group Chief Technology Officer in Sandton, Johannesburg for a multi-country group spanning travel, tourism, retail and travel-related financial services (CareerJunction 2646581; advert closes 29 October 2026). The Group CTO defines, owns and executes the technology strategy, provides a secure, resilient, cost-effective and scalable platform across all divisions and territories, and acts as a full commercial partner to the Group Chief Executive, Group Exco and divisional Managing Directors in translating technology into measurable revenue growth, margin improvement and customer advantage.

The mandate goes well beyond running IT: the incumbent leads the Group’s enterprise-wide AI strategy as a primary lever for operational efficiency, establishes and scales ‘TourTech’ as a commercial technology business, delivers the Group’s FinTech ambition (payments, foreign exchange and travel money) on a secure, compliant platform, and turns Group data into a governed, commercially valuable asset. The role also owns enterprise architecture, cloud and hybrid infrastructure, information security and PCI DSS compliance, King IV-aligned technology governance, the technology budget, and technology due diligence and integration for acquisitions.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and execute a three-to-five-year Group technology strategy with a funded, sequenced roadmap, business cases and benefit tracking
Define and lead an enterprise-wide AI strategy, operating model and governance framework (model risk, ethics, privacy, security, human oversight)
Establish TourTech as a commercial technology business: mandate, commercial model, governance, funding, leadership and product roadmap
Deliver the FinTech platform strategy across payments, FX and travel money within exchange control, FICA/AML and PCI DSS requirements
Own Group enterprise architecture, integration standards and the reference stack; lead core-system modernisation and consolidation
Own the Group cloud strategy and hybrid infrastructure estate, including constrained-connectivity territories, with disciplined cloud cost optimisation
Own information security strategy, PCI DSS compliance, incident response and cyber risk reporting to the Audit & Risk Committee
Establish Group data governance and a data platform that powers decision-grade analytics and commercial data products within POPIA
Improve digital experiences across booking engines, self-service, mobile, loyalty and payment journeys
Own the technology operating and capital budget, lead acquisition due diligence and integration, and build scarce-skills succession

Required Qualifications

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related discipline; MSc or MBA advantageous
TOGAF, ITIL, CISM/CISSP or programme-delivery certification advantageous; executive qualification in AI, data or digital advantageous
Minimum 15 years in technology, including 5+ years in a Group, divisional or enterprise technology leadership role in a multi-entity, multi-country business
Track record delivering large-scale technology transformation through to adoption and measured benefit
Travel, tourism, hospitality, retail or comparable high-volume transactional sector experience; GDS, PMS, reservations or POS/payments exposure a strong advantage
Enterprise-level accountability for cyber resilience, including PCI DSS environments and board-level cyber reporting
Experience in FinTech/payments, enterprise AI and automation programmes, data monetisation and post-acquisition integration

Skills & Requirements

Technology StrategyEnterprise ArchitectureAI Strategy & GovernanceFinTech & PaymentsPCI DSSCloud Strategy (AWS/Azure)Cyber SecurityData GovernanceDigital TransformationERP ConsolidationKing IV & POPIAM&A Technology IntegrationExecutive LeadershipVendor Management