National Sales Manager - Whole Goods, VKB Mechanization Reitz

Introduction to the VKB Group

The VKB Group is an agricultural company providing support to farmers and producing straight-from-the-farm foods for consumers. Apart from its various consumer brands, the VKB Group is also represented by its regional brands: VKB, GWK and NTK.

Our roots are firmly planted in agriculture, with farming at our core, continuously growing and evolving throughout the years. Starting with providing everything needed on the farm to produce food, we now operate across the entire food supply chain, including processing, logistics, storage, handling and national and international market channels.

This "house of brands", established with the support of our farmer shareholders, forms the foundation for building the agribusiness of the future.

More About VKB Mechanization

VKB Mechanization is a leading provider of agricultural equipment, mechanization solutions and technical support to farming businesses across South Africa.

Working alongside globally recognised equipment manufacturers, we help producers improve productivity, operational efficiency and profitability through world-class machinery, precision farming technologies and expert support.

As agriculture becomes increasingly technology-driven, mechanization has never been more critical. Our success depends on attracting exceptional sales leaders who understand both the agricultural producer and the machinery that powers their success.

Why This Role Matters

Lead the Future of Agricultural Equipment Sales

VKB Mechanization is seeking an exceptional leader to drive our national Whole Goods sales strategy and lead one of South Africa's most respected agricultural equipment sales teams.

This is not a traditional sales management role.

We are looking for a proven Whole Goods sales leader who has successfully led mechanization sales teams, understands the complexity of agricultural equipment markets, and knows how to translate opportunities into sustainable growth and profitability.

As National Sales Manager: Whole Goods, you will be responsible for driving national sales performance across our equipment portfolio, developing high-performing regional sales teams, strengthening supplier and customer partnerships, and ensuring VKB Mechanization remains the preferred mechanization partner to South African farmers.

If you have a proven track record in agricultural machinery sales leadership and a passion for developing winning teams, we would like to hear from you.

Why Join VKB?

At VKB, you become part of a business deeply rooted in agriculture while helping shape its future.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Lead a national Whole Goods sales function within one of South Africa's leading agribusinesses.
• Influence strategic business decisions and long-term growth initiatives.
• Drive market share growth across a significant agricultural equipment portfolio.
• Work alongside experienced agricultural, technical, financial and operational professionals.
• Develop and mentor sales leaders and teams across multiple regions.
• Build meaningful relationships with commercial and developing farmers across South Africa.
• Play a key role in advancing mechanization, technology adoption and agricultural productivity.
• Grow your career within a values-driven organisation committed to excellence.

What Success Looks Like

In this role, success means:

• Increasing national Whole Goods market share across VKB Mechanization territories.
• Delivering profitable growth in tractors, harvesting equipment, planting equipment, spraying equipment, implements and precision agriculture solutions.
• Building and sustaining a high-performance sales culture across all regions and branches.
• Strengthening relationships with key customers, manufacturers and strategic partners.
• Improving forecasting accuracy, sales pipeline management and conversion rates.
• Growing revenue while maintaining strong profitability and return on investment.
• Developing sales capability and leadership depth throughout the organisation.
• Increasing customer retention and share-of-wallet amongst key farming customers.
• Positioning VKB Mechanization as the preferred mechanization partner within the agricultural sector.

Who Are We Looking For? (Ideal Candidate Profile)

We are seeking an accomplished Whole Goods sales leader with deep agricultural mechanization expertise and a proven ability to lead teams, grow market share and deliver results at scale.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have extensive experience selling agricultural machinery and equipment.
• Have successfully led regional or national Whole Goods sales teams.
• Understand the operational and commercial realities of modern farming businesses.
• Demonstrate strong commercial acumen and exceptional business judgement.
• Have the ability to develop, coach and inspire high-performing sales teams.
• Be highly customer-centric and relationship-driven.
• Understand the economics of agricultural equipment sales, financing, inventory management and dealership operations.
• Be equally comfortable engaging with executive leadership teams and commercial farmers.
• Be data-driven, accountable and focused on measurable outcomes.
• Thrive in a high-performance, growth-focused environment.
  

Qualifications

• Grade 12 (Matric).
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Agriculture, Business Management, Sales, Marketing, or a related field will be advantageous.
• Valid driver's licence.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 10 years' experience in agricultural mechanization sales.
• Minimum 5 years' experience leading regional or national Whole Goods sales teams.
• Proven track record in the sale of agricultural machinery and equipment, including tractors, combines, harvesting equipment, planters, sprayers, implements, and precision farming solutions.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-million-rand whole goods sales budgets and profitability targets.
• Experience leading sales teams across multiple regions or branches.
• Strong understanding of equipment financing, trade-ins, inventory management, and dealer operations.
• Established relationships within the South African agricultural sector will be highly advantageous.

Strongly Preferred Industry Background

Experience within agricultural equipment and machinery environments, including:

• Tractors
• Combines and harvesting equipment
• Planting and seeding equipment
• Sprayers and application equipment
• Implements and tillage equipment
• Precision agriculture and smart farming solutions
• Dealer and distributor sales networks 

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Commercial Acumen
• Customer-Centric Thinking
• Business Development
• Negotiation and Influencing
• Team Leadership and Coaching
• Performance Management
• Relationship Management
• Results Orientation
• Decision Making
• Change Leadership
• Accountability
• Planning and Execution

Skills Required

• Exceptional leadership and people management ability.
• Advanced negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong understanding of Whole Goods sales processes and equipment markets.
• Sales forecasting, budgeting and reporting expertise.
• Strong financial and business analysis capability.
• Ability to identify and capitalize on market opportunities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple business units.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Willingness to travel nationally as required.
• Fluent in Afrikaans and English.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop the national Whole Goods Sales Team.
• Develop and execute national sales strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Achieve sales, revenue, and profitability targets.
• Build, maintain, and expand customer relationships.
• Identify new business opportunities, customers, and markets.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and industry developments.
• Prepare and manage sales forecasts, budgets, and management reports.
• Drive customer satisfaction and service excellence.
• Ensure effective performance management and development of sales employees.
• Work closely with Parts, Service, Marketing, Finance, and Operational teams to drive business success.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Represent VKB Mechanization professionally within the agricultural industry.

Why Top Candidates would Consider This Opportunity

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead a nationally significant Whole Goods sales operation.
• Influence the future direction of agricultural mechanization within VKB Group.
• Work with respected agricultural brands and industry-leading equipment solutions.
• Make a direct impact on the success of South African farming businesses.
• Join an organisation guided by strong values and long-term vision.
• Build a lasting legacy through people leadership, commercial success and industry impact.

Important Information for Applicants

VKB Group reserves the right to close or withdraw any vacancy at its discretion. All personal information submitted through the Career Portal will be used solely for recruitment purposes and, where applicable, for matters related to employment.

As an equal opportunity employer, VKB Group is committed to Employment Equity, transformation, and the inclusion of People with Disabilities. Our recruitment decisions are aligned with the VKB Group Employment Equity Plan and Transformation Strategy.

When applying, please ensure that:

• You use Google Chrome to access the Career Portal.
• You upload a clear and professional CV in PDF or Word format only.
• Your CV does not contain handwritten notes or markings.
• Supporting documents such as your ID, driver's licence, certificates, or other documentation are uploaded in the designated sections and not combined with your CV.
• Your profile photo meets the minimum size requirement of 300 x 300 pixels.

A Note on Honesty and Integrity

As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a screening questionnaire. We strongly encourage all candidates to answer every question honestly and accurately.

At VKB Group, our culture is rooted in the values of being Humble, Hungry, Smart, Bold, and Playing as One Team. We believe in building authentic relationships and making sound decisions based on trust and integrity. Misrepresenting qualifications, experience, competencies, criminal history, or any other information may result in your application being withdrawn or your employment being terminated should discrepancies be identified during verification processes.

We respect your time and ask that you respect ours by providing truthful information throughout the recruitment process. This helps ensure that we focus on candidates who are genuinely aligned with the requirements of the role and the values of our organisation.

VKB is hiring for this full-time position in Free State.

See all 41 jobs at VKB →

Full-time positions like this one are ideal for building real-world experience. Even if you don't meet every requirement, applying shows initiative — and many employers value attitude over experience for entry-level roles.

Browse all Retail & Sales jobs across South Africa, or see more Retail & Sales and other jobs in Free State.