Who are we?
What do we do, and why do we do it?
TurnStay is a financial technology startup focused on reducing the cost of getting paid and accepting bookings in the travel sector.Our mission is to leverage innovations in payment technologies to drastically reduce card processing costs and empower hotels to direct more traffic through their websites.Why this mission?
What are we trying to achieve?
Every year, the Travel industry spends over 120 billion dollars on payments and booking fees. On average, merchants lose around 13% of all their income to intermediaries and payment companies.Emerging technologies have made it possible to solve this problem; TurnStay is here to utilise these new technologies to help the travel industry thrive.Why work at TurnStay
Why is TurnStay an Awesome place to work?
TurnStay is an innovative, fast-growing company transforming global travel.We foster a collaborative, mission-driven culture.Team members enjoy strong opportunities for learning and personal growth.The Role
🧞♂️ What is this role about?
We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build the core infrastructure powering TurnStay’s payments and treasury systems.You'll lead projects end-to-end—from designing APIs to building scalable backend services.You'll work closely with the founder, product leads, and external partners on deeply technical challenges that are critical to our success.Key Responsibilities
🔧 What will you be doing?
Design and build scalable backend services (primarily in FastAPI / Python)Integrate with payment processors (e.g., Stripe, Peach Payments, ACH, mobile money)Own key features like payment links, hosted pages, ledgers, payouts, and moreCollaborate on architecture for multi-tenant, multi-currency systemsHelp design secure, PCI-aware workflows for handling card dataDrive code quality through tests, reviews, and documentationContribute to infrastructure decisionsKey Requirements
⚠️ You must meet the following minimum criteria:
4+ years professional experience building production backend systemsStrong Python experience (ideally FastAPI or similar frameworks)Experience with relational databases (we use PostgreSQL) and ORMs like SQLAlchemyComfortable with async programming, API design, and working with third-party APIsExcellent communication skills and a builder’s mindsetNice to Have
✨ Bonus experience we’d love to see:
Payments or fintech experience (e.g., payouts, reconciliation, card acquiring)PCI compliance understanding (or at least interest in secure systems)Experience working in startups or small teamsFamiliarity with infrastructure tools like Pulumi, Docker, AWSAI Outlook
🤖 How we think about AI
We believe that AI can massively accelerate software development—but only when combined with solid engineering principles.At TurnStay, we’re actively investing in building context into our codebase, documentation, and workflows so we can better leverage AI tools to speed up development without compromising code quality.We're looking for engineers who are excited to work at the intersection of AI and software engineering, and who want to help shape how modern teams build software with AI as a force multiplier.About You
🧠 What kind of person are we looking for?
You care about clean, maintainable systems—but also getting things doneYou enjoy figuring things out end-to-end and don’t need layers of PMsYou want to build systems that matter—used daily by real businesses with real money on the lineYou’re comfortable taking responsibility and making decisions with imperfect informationLocation
📍 Where do we work from?
This is a hybrid role based in Cape Town, with 3 days per week in-office.We value face-to-face collaboration, especially in a fast-paced startup environment, while still offering flexibility for focused, remote work.Salary
💵 Compensation
R60 000 – R100 000 per month (depending on experience)How to Apply
📬 Apply now
Fill out this form: https://forms.monday.com/forms/07fe76796720917db5653431e44e7922?r=euc1To apply for this role, please follow this link
