COFCO International is a global agri-business with a clear vision, strong values and a positive culture, focused on being a leader in the global grains, oilseeds and sugar supply chains. We provide the food the world needs in a responsible way. Headquartered is Geneva, Switzerland, we are ambitious, with the right structures and culture to meet the world's increasing and changing needs. With 11,000+ people in 35 countries, our global portfolio includes assets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We trade with over 50 nations, while providing farmers unique direct access to the growing Chinese market.

Company: COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Vacancy:  Trade Accountant – Wheat and Sunflower

Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Department: Finance

The Trade Accountant will play a key role in driving financial discipline and transparency across the wheat and sunflower trading business. This role is accountable for accurate, timely, and insightful trade P&L reporting, effective risk and position management controls, and alignment of financial results with operational performance. As part of the Business Control division, the Trade Accountant will partner closely with traders, operations, and management to support sound decision-making, safeguard financial integrity, and embed best practices in commercial finance and accounting processes.

Key Performance Areas:

1. P&L Control, Trade Reporting, and Working Capital Management:

• Ensure daily P&L reporting is accurate and submitted within agreed timelines.
• Maintain integrity of trade data and alignment with market exposures.
• Monitor and reconcile working capital efficiency.
• Identify and resolve P&L discrepancies and stock valuation variances proactively.

2. Month-End Close, Management Reporting & Commercial Business Partnering:

• Month-end close completed within Group deadlines with minimal adjustments
• Accuracy and completeness of management reporting (variance analysis, commentary, dashboards)
• Timely delivery of insights to support trading, operational, and strategic decisions
• Quality of business partnering: responsiveness, stakeholder feedback, and solution-orientation
• Proactive identification and communication of risks, opportunities, and financial trends
• Alignment of reporting outputs with commercial priorities and business plans

3. Internal Controls, Audit Readiness & Compliance Governance:

• Timely resolution of internal and external audit findings
• Zero repeat audit findings across audit cycles
• Control self-assessments and risk registers updated and monitored regularly
• Compliance with group policies, accounting standards, and regulatory frameworks
• Documentation completeness and availability (SOPs, reconciliations, signoffs)
• Control breaches identified and escalated

4. Digital Systems Optimization, Process Improvement & Automation

• Number of manual processes automated or streamlined
• Time saved and error reduction through automation initiatives
• Cross-functional collaboration in redesigning inefficient workflows
• Reduction in spreadsheet dependency and reconciliation gaps
• Training and change management effectiveness for new tools or processes

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Effectiveness and frequency of communication with key departments (e.g., trading, ops, logistics, finance)
• Timely resolution of interdepartmental queries and bottlenecks
• Joint initiatives delivered on time and to expectation (e.g., process changes, reporting improvements)
• Stakeholder feedback on collaboration quality and responsiveness
• Participation in cross-functional projects and taskforces
• Alignment of deliverables with broader commercial and operational goals

6. Risk & Exposure Management:

• Daily/weekly monitoring and reporting of market and operational exposures
• Timely escalation and resolution of risk incidents or breaches
• Risk registers maintained and reviewed periodically
• Compliance with group policies

Minimum Criteria:

• Experience in accounting and a deep understanding of trade position management and trade PnL
• Relevant tertiary qualification
• At least 2-4 years’ experience in a commercial environment
• Computer Literacy (MS Excel – advanced)

Competencies

• Planning and organising
• Relating and networking
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectation
• Analysing and interpreting information
• Adapting and responding to change
• Coping with pressure

Skills, Knowledge and Experience required:

• Grain and Agri industry and commodities trading background
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Numerical reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Critical thinker with emotional resilience
• Grain and Agri industry and commodities trading background

Desirable skills

• Previous experience working for a multinational company
• SAP S4 Hana, SAP BPC

General

Reports to Business Controller.

Salary is market related basic salary with provident fund and medical aid benefits.

How to apply

The company is offering a competitive salary with provident and medical benefits.  Exciting incentive opportunities, a rewarding work environment, product and supply chain knowledge and career growth opportunities for the right candidate.

Interested parties should please submit a comprehensive CV and covering letter, outlining why you feel that you are best suited to the position on the COFCO Careers website https://www.cofcointernational.com/careers/ by searching for vacancies in South Africa, clicking on the listed positions available, and following the prompts when clicking “Apply” on the job description, and answering all related questions in full to complete your application.

Only applications submitted direct on the COFCO Careers website will be considered.

If you do not hear from us within 21 days from date of application, please regard your application as unsuccessful. Only short-listed candidates will be moved through the Talent Pipeline and contacted.

The company appoints in line with our employment equity plan and preference may be given to previously disadvantaged individuals.

Privacy Policy

By contacting COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd., you acknowledge and agree that COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd. has a legitimate business purpose to collect and process your personal information (as defined in Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 and any amendments thereto (“POPIA”)) to review your personal information and to comply with its legal obligations. COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd will process your personal information in accordance with POPIA and in accordance with and the purposes described in COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd.’s privacy policy available at https://www.cofcointernational.com/data-privacy-policy/  You hereby confirm that you have read, understood and agree with the terms of COFCO International South Africa (Pty) Ltd.’s privacy policy, and consent to the processing of your personal information.

COFCO International is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice to know how COFCO collects and processes your personal data during your job application.