Within BESTSELLER Region East, brands such as JACK & JONES, VERO MODA, ONLY and many more come together to shape modern fashion across the region. Recently celebrated 50 years under the theme “Nearness”, we continue to build on what defines us: close collaboration, strong relationships, and a shared ambition to grow — together. We are looking for a commercially driven and entrepreneurial New Business Developer to support our wholesale business expansion across African markets. In this role, you will play a key part in identifying growth opportunities, establishing new partnerships and driving successful market entry, working closely with internal teams to turn commercial opportunities into sustainable business growth.

New Business Developer (m/f/o)

Location: Dubai, UAE

Responsibilities

Drive new business & partnerships:

• Identify and develop new business opportunities across priority African markets.
• Build a strong pipeline of potential distributors, retailers and strategic partners.
• Lead commercial discussions, presentations and negotiations to secure new partnerships.
• Develop long-term business relationships that support sustainable growth.

Explore new markets & growth opportunities:

• Research market potential, competitor activity and distribution opportunities.
• Identify viable routes to market and develop commercial proposals for market entry and expansion.
• Evaluate new business opportunities and recommend commercially sustainable approaches.
• Travel regularly across target markets to explore opportunities and build relationships.

Bring new partnerships to life:

• Drive the commercial onboarding of new partners from initial agreement through to market launch.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance and Logistics to ensure smooth and successful market entry.
• Proactively identify and resolve challenges that may impact the launch of new partnerships.
• Support the development of efficient and scalable processes for future business expansion.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience and in-depth knowledge of the South African market, supported by an established network of wholesale distributors, retailers and commercial partners. Experience in other African markets would be an advantage.
• An established network of wholesale distributors and commercial partners across African markets.
• Proven experience in new business development, market expansion and establishing commercial partnerships, ideally within fashion, retail or wholesale.
• Strong negotiation, relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial mindset with the ability to identify opportunities and translate them into business growth.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive and comfortable working independently across multiple markets.
• Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills, with fluency in English required. Proficiency in Afrikaans or other South African languages would be an advantage, while French or Portuguese would be beneficial for wider African market development.
• Willingness to travel extensively across African markets (50% or more of working time).

What we can offer

• An open and entrepreneurial culture where new ideas are welcomed and quickly turned into action.
• A collaborative and creative working environment where teamwork and fresh perspectives are valued.
• The opportunity to work with an international team in a diverse and multicultural environment.
• The opportunity to play an active role in expanding our business into new markets and shaping future growth.
• A range of employee discounts across our brands.

Important

Please note that only applications submitted through our system will be considered.

At BESTSELLER, We Own It! #BSRE