Join Fetola and Make a Difference as a Data Engineer

Apply now for a full-time role based in Cape Town

Hybrid set-up

Salary: R56 654 – R70 000 per month

Closing date: 28 May 2026

Vacancies: 1

“Our purpose is simple: we help people to start, grow & scale successful businesses”.

Who are we?

Fetola is a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable SME development as a means to tackle unemployment, inequality, and poverty. With a strong track record in business start-up and acceleration, we help entrepreneurs build thriving, environmentally sound businesses that drive economic growth and job creation. Our innovative approach, diverse programs, investment funds, and strategic partnerships position us at the forefront of impactful change in South Africa.  

Agile, inclusive, and results-driven, we foster a collaborative culture where every voice matters. With 87% of our accelerator alumni still in business after ten years, this is nine times the national average as we are committed to creating deep, lasting impact. True to our name, which means "change" in Sesotho, we believe that together, we can ‘Fetola’ the world!  

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to People, Planet and Profitability —ensuring a future where businesses thrive while making a meaningful difference.  

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a highly analytical and solutions-driven Data Engineer to join our growing team and help build the next generation of data systems that support strategic decision-making, impact reporting, and organisational intelligence.

Key traits:

·    Strong analytical and critical thinking ability

·        Exceptional problem-solving skills

·        High attention to detail

·        Ability to communicate complex insights clearly

·        Strong report-writing and storytelling-with-data capability

·        Ability to work collaboratively across teams

What will you do:

The Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, building, and optimising scalable data systems, pipelines, and reporting structures that support organisational reporting, programme monitoring, impact measurement, and strategic decision-making. You will work closely with programme teams, analysts, finance, operations, and leadership to ensure that data is accurate, accessible, secure, and transformed into meaningful insights.

The role combines technical engineering capability with analytical insight generation and reporting, requiring someone who can both build robust infrastructure and interpret data to support business and impact outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Data Engineering & Pipeline Development

·        Design and maintain scalable ETL/ELT pipelines

·        Automate data extraction, transformation, and loading processes

·        Integrate CRM, finance, programme, and operational systems

·        Improve data processing efficiency and reliability

Data Architecture & Integration

·        Build and optimise data models and warehouse structures

·        Develop API and middleware integrations

·        Maintain architecture and integration documentation

·        Ensure scalability and performance across platforms

Data Governance & Quality

·        Implement data validation and cleansing processes

·        Monitor data accuracy, completeness, and integrity

·        Ensure compliance with POPIA and internal governance standards

Analytics & Insight Enablement

·        Structure datasets for Power BI and reporting tools

·        Support business users and analysts with data accessibility

·        Improve dashboard usability and performance

·        Translate complex datasets into actionable insights

Reporting & Strategic Analysis

·        Conduct longitudinal and impact analysis

·        Produce written analytical reports for EXCO and stakeholders

·        Present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences

·        Support reporting such as Youth Reports, Women Reports, and impact studies

Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

·    Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field

·        Minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role

·        Advanced SQL skills (non-negotiable)

·        Experience with Python or similar programming languages

·        Strong experience in data warehousing and modelling

·        API integration experience

·        Experience with cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS

Advantageous Experience

·        Power BI or Tableau

·        CRM platforms such as Salesforce or Zoho

·        Impact reporting or longitudinal studies

·        Working in programme, development, NGO, or impact-driven environments

Benefits