Principal Engineer (Full-Stack / Platform / Data)
Lesaka Technologies
Enterprise – EasyPay Division
Cape Town, Western Cape (Hybrid or On-site)
Permanent | Posted: 29 April 2026
Relocation within South Africa: Considered for strong candidates
Role Overview
Lesaka Technologies is seeking a highly experienced Principal Engineer to lead the technical evolution of its platform across full-stack systems, data infrastructure, backend services, and cloud architecture.
This is a senior, hands-on engineering role focused on solving complex technical challenges while shaping long-term system architecture, scalability, and engineering strategy across multiple domains.
The role requires both deep technical execution and strong leadership influence across engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities
System Architecture & Technical Strategy
- Define and drive architecture across frontend, backend, data, and infrastructure layers
- Make high-impact technical decisions focused on scalability, reliability, and long-term sustainability
- Partner with leadership on technical strategy and platform evolution
Full-Stack Engineering Contribution
- Contribute hands-on across the stack where required (backend, frontend, data, infrastructure)
- Build and enhance scalable APIs, services, and user-facing applications
- Improve system performance and technical efficiency
Cloud, Data & Infrastructure
- Design and maintain cloud-based infrastructure and deployment systems
- Architect data models, pipelines, and storage systems for analytics and product use cases
- Improve observability, monitoring, and system reliability
Engineering Leadership
- Mentor and guide engineering teams to raise technical standards
- Influence technical direction across multiple squads or product areas
- Support engineers in solving complex architectural and performance challenges
Experience Requirements
- 10+ years of hands-on software engineering experience
- Proven track record of designing, building, and scaling production systems
- Strong experience across backend, frontend, data, and infrastructure domains
- Experience working in high-scale or distributed system environments is highly beneficial
Technical Skills
Backend Engineering
- Strong experience with API design, distributed systems, and service architecture
Frontend Engineering
- Experience with modern frameworks such as React
- Strong focus on performance optimization and scalable UI design
Data Engineering
- Experience with data modelling, pipelines, and storage systems
- Ability to design systems that support analytics and product intelligence
Cloud & DevOps
- Deep experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Strong CI/CD pipeline design and automation experience
- Experience with observability tools and system monitoring
Leadership & Communication
- Strong technical judgment and decision-making ability
- Proven ability to influence engineering direction at scale
- Experience mentoring senior and mid-level engineers
- Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Ability to balance product delivery with platform and infrastructure development
Nice to Have
- Experience in high-growth or rapidly scaling organisations
- Experience building internal developer platforms or engineering tools
- Ability to balance short-term delivery with long-term platform investments
Core Impact of the Role
This position plays a critical role in shaping the technical foundation of Lesaka Technologies’ platform, ensuring scalability, reliability, and engineering excellence across all systems.
