| Reports to: | GIZ: Portfolio ManagerIDC: Chief Director: International Development Cooperation |
| Duration | Until 31 August 2026 with the possibility of extension |
BACKGROUND
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is an international cooperation (IC) enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis. GIZ’s activities in South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini are managed through its country office in Pretoria, South Africa and focus on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (Energy, Climate Change, Skills Development & Employment), Governance, Private Sector Development and Health amongst others.
GIZ’s main partner in South Africa is the National Treasury which shall be supported through a secondment.
The National Treasury, mandated by the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act, is responsible for managing South Africa’s public finances, promoting transparency, and ensuring efficient resource allocation to support economic growth and service delivery. It oversees fiscal policy, budget preparation and financial regulation across government.
Within the National Treasury, the Chief Directorate: International Development Cooperation (CD: IDC) coordinates development cooperation and official development assistance. Its role is to align donor-funded programmes with national priorities, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders, and promote principles such as country ownership, mutual accountability and results-based management.
Over the past three decades, the global development cooperation (DC) environment has evolved significantly. Traditional donor-driven models have given way to more innovative funding mechanisms such as blended finance, results-based funding, and public-private partnerships. These approaches aim to enhance the sustainability and impact of development investments by leveraging private capital. Climate change has become a central focus, especially since the 2015 Paris Agreement, with official development assistance (ODA) increasingly supporting climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Additionally, the landscape of development actors has diversified, now including emerging economies like China, India, and Brazil, as well as philanthropic foundations, civil society organisations and the private sector.
South Africa’s DC environment is marked by a complex array of stakeholders, including various levels of government, international partners and civil society. The National Treasury plays a key role in coordinating these efforts and ensuring alignment with national priorities and fiscal policy and regulations. However, coordination challenges persist as local implementing partners often engage with donors independently leading to duplication, misalignment and inconsistent reporting. Legislative changes have further complicated the landscape by introducing additional procedural and reporting requirements, particularly around tax exemptions for donor-funded projects.
The CD: IDC within the National Treasury faces significant resource and staffing constraints. With a small team managing a broad portfolio of engagements, the unit struggles to maintain continuity when staff are unavailable. The CD: IDC is frequently required to intervene in donor-funded projects due to compliance or performance issues, which diverts resources from strategic oversight to reactive problem-solving. These challenges are compounded by resistance from local implementing partners, leading to legal disputes that further strain the unit’s operational capacity.
To address these challenges and adapt to the evolving DC environment, South Africa must strengthen its institutional mechanisms for ODA governance. This includes improving reporting systems, fostering interdepartmental collaboration and investing in the capacity of the CD: IDC. Enhancing legal, technical and operational capabilities is essential to ensure policy alignment, transparency and accountability.
The German Cooperation, via GIZ, intends to support the National Treasury through the secondment of a technical expert as a Senior Technical Advisor to the CD: IDC.
The technical expert will assist the CD: IDC with conceptualising, implementing and institutionalising various reforms and interventions to improve the effectiveness and resilience of South Africa’s development cooperation framework.
- RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Technical Advisor will be tasked with enhancing the institutional effectiveness of South Africa’s DC and ODA framework. This will be achieved by strengthening the capacity of the CD: IDC to proactively manage legal and compliance risks, optimise internal systems, and sustain operational functionality within a resource-constrained and multi-stakeholder environment. Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Legal Advisory Support: Provide legal advice to mitigate legal and compliance risks associated with DC and ODA activities across the South African government.
- Capacity Building: Design, initiate and support the implementation of strategic capacity-building initiatives, with a particular focus on mentoring and coaching National Treasury officials involved in the management of DC and ODA.
- Operational Resilience: Recommend and assist in the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening the operational resilience and business continuity of the CD: IDC, including direct operational support to the Chief Director: International Development Cooperation.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate effective engagement with internal stakeholders – such as Economic Policy and International Cooperation, Assets and Liabilities Management, Public Finance, the Budget Office, Intergovernmental Relations and the Office of the Accountant-General – as well as with external stakeholders, including government institutions, private sector entities, civil society organisations and international development partners.
- Development Partner Coordination: Coordinate dialogues, meetings and other engagements with development partners in accordance with the applicable development cooperation framework arrangements with the specific partner.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Contribute to ODA programme and project mid-term reviews, evaluation and other assessments as required by the Chief Director: International Development Cooperation
- GENERAL OBLIGATIONS
The Senior Technical Advisor is expected to fulfil the following general obligations:
- Provide expert advice to support decision-making aligned with institutional goals.
- Support capacity-building efforts through training, mentoring, and system improvements to enhance organisational effectiveness.
- Support oversight and monitoring of ODA programmes and projects, ensuring adherence to standards, regulations and best practices.
- Coordinate and maintain effective communication with stakeholders to promote collaboration and alignment.
- Contribute to maintaining operational functionality and resilience in a dynamic and resource-constrained environment.
- REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES AND EXPRERIENCES
Qualifications:
- A postgraduate degree (or equivalent qualification) in Economics, Public Administration, Business Management, Law or a related discipline.
- An advanced degree (Master’s degree or higher) will be considered an added advantage.
- A legal qualification will also be regarded as an added advantage.
General Professional Experience:
- A minimum of ten (10) years’ experience working within or in collaboration with South African public institutions. Experience within the National Treasury will be considered an added advantage.
- At least ten (10) years’ experience in a senior management role within an organisation operating in development cooperation the sector.
Specific Professional Experience:
- A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in oversight, monitoring, or project management roles across multiple ODA programmes and projects, particularly those funded by the European Union or its member states.
- At least five (5) years’ experience in a legal environment, including legal practice, legal advisory services or legal capacity-building initiatives.
- A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation.
- Familiarity with the South African judicial and legal system will be considered an added advantage.
- Knowledge of international relations and cooperation, particularly in the context of international agreements and treaties, will also be considered an added advantage.
Additional Competencies:
- Full professional proficiency in English with demonstrated fluency in reading, writing and speaking
- Demonstrated experience of working in a team environment.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, with a proactive approach to task execution and a commitment to delivering results within established timeframes.
- Proficiency in the practical application of Microsoft 365 Office tools to support administrative and technical functions.
- Demonstrated skills in planning, coordination and facilitation of workshops, meetings and stakeholder engagement or events.
- Demonstrated experience in professional development mentoring and coaching.
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The CD: IDC in the National Treasury will provide the necessary office space to support the activities of the Technical Expert. This space will be located at the National Treasury’s premises at:
- 40 Church Square
- Pretoria Central
- PRETORIA
- 0002
The GIZ will provide the Senior Technical Advisor with the necessary ICT equipment and related tools for the duration of the assignment.
The Senior Technical Advisor will be appointed on a part-time basis, equivalent to 60%-70% of a full-time schedule, averaging approximately 12-15 working days per month.
The Senior Technical Advisor will operate under a hybrid working arrangement, alternating between remote work and on-site presence at the designated office, as determined by the operational needs of the CD: IDC.
At GIZ, the Senior Technical Advisor will be offered an atmosphere that is characterised by diversity, respect and genuine equal opportunities. GIZ is a signatory to the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity are important to us. All employees shall be valued – regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation.
- APPLICATION PROCESS
GIZ will only consider applications that meet the qualification and professional experience requirements. Suitable candidates can apply by submitting a detailed CV (max 4 pages) indicating their nationality and a motivational letter (concisely 1 page) stating why they should be the preferred candidate and the value that will be added to GIZ.
The application should be submitted to: [email protected], with the following email subject line “Application for SEF IDC STA Position” for the attention of Head of Human Resource.
Closing date for applications: 20 August 2025.
Only shortlisted candidates will be informed.
Applications without a motivation letter will not be considered!