Debtors Clerk / Accounts receivable Clerk / Credit controller - Fruit Export Industry -Stellenbosch

• Generate and distribute credit notes and pro forma invoices accurately and on time.
• Monitor accounts receivable (AR) ledger daily; post cash receipts and allocate payments correctly.
• Proactively manage collections: follow up on overdue accounts by email, phone, and virtual meetings; work with the commercial team, and escalate unresolved matters to the Finance Manager.
• Prepare and send debtor statements and ageing reports; reconcile unapplied receipts, short payments, and bank charges.
• Investigate and resolve billing disputes quickly, liaising with sales, operations, commercial agents, and freight forwarders to gather supporting documentation (POD, B/L, phytosanitary certificates, packing lists).
• Coordinate with banks and treasury on foreign currency collections, letters of credit, guarantees, and remittances.
• Maintain and update customer credit files and payment terms; perform periodic credit checks for new or expanding accounts.
• Produce weekly/monthly AR reports (DSO, ageing analysis, collection forecast) and present insights to Finance and Sales.
• Support month-end close tasks related to revenue and receivables (accruals, reconciliations, suspense accounts).
• Continuously improve AR processes to shorten collection cycles and reduce disputes.
• Support internal and external audits related to debtors.
• Assist with supplier recons when required.

• Matric plus a relevant tertiary qualification or diploma in Accounting/Finance/Bookkeeping (or equivalent experience).
• 2–4+ years’ experience in accounts receivable or credit control — experience in fruit export, perishables, or logistics is highly desirable.
• Understanding of foreign-currency receipts, bank processes, and export documentation.

• Able to work independently and as part of a small, cross-functional team.

• Professional, proactive, and customer-focused approach.
• Exceptional relationship management builds trust, responds promptly, follows through, ability to deal professionally with international buyers, agents, and internal teams
• Commercial awareness: understands cashflow impact and customer cycles in export markets.
• Problem-solving investigates disputes, finds pragmatic solutions, and documents resolutions.
• Integrity & confidentiality: handles invoicing and banking information securely.
• Accuracy and timeliness: low error rate, meets cut-offs for invoicing and bank allocations.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and negotiation skills; confident on the phone and in virtual meetings.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills; able to prioritise under deadlines.

• ERP / accounting system (experience with any industry-standard AR module).
• MS Excel — intermediate (basic formulas, pivot tables, filters, vlookup).
• Familiarity with export process terms (B/L, POD, Incoterms, letters of credit) is a plus.
• Comfortable using email, MS Teams/Zoom for international communication.

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