Schedule
Timetable
[ Our Timetable ]
2026 Program Details
08:30
Registration and Morning Refreshments
09:15
Opening Remarks by Organizer – BII Global
- Ray Thomas, Director Conferences
09:20
Opening Remarks by Conference Chair:
- Lesego Chauke, Chief Payments Officer, Payments Association of South Africa (PASA)
09:30
Opening Keynote
Guest of Honor – South African Reserve Bank (SARB)
Catalysing Change: Why South Africa Needs Modern Payment Systems Now
Keynote Speaker:
- Dr Arif Ismail, Head of Department - National Payment System, South African Reserve Bank (SARB)
09:50
Keynote by South Africa’s Top Voice
Engineering Trust in Africa’s Digital Finance Future: Delivering Resilient, Intelligent and Inclusive Banking Systems
- Fikile Mekgoe, Head of Technology: Delivery & Testing, Bidvest Bank
10:10
Opening Panel - Leadership
Shaping the Financial System of 2030: Leadership Vision, Regulatory Evolution, AI Integration and Market Readiness
Moderator:
- Neré Jansen Van Vuuren, Director – Africa Region, C&R Software
Panelists:
- Keith Sabilika, Senior Fintech Specialist, Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
- Pauline Molloyi, Chief Product and Innovation Officer, OM Bank
- Lerato Lamola, Partner, Webber Wentzel
11:00
Networking Coffee Break with Exhibition Visits
11:20
Panel – Financial Crime
Combating Financial Crime in South Africa: Regulatory Priorities, Enforcement Outcomes, and Operational Reality
Moderator:
- Calvin Christopher, Partner, Spencer West
Panelists:
- Neré Jansen Van Vuuren, Director – Africa Region, C&R Software
- Stephen Mkwanazi, Head: Financial Crime Compliance, FirstRand
- Nicholas Harris, Head of Financial Crime, Capitec Bank
- Lebo Lekoloane, Head: Group Financial Crime, Sanlam
12:00
Keynote – Presenting Partner – Alfa Bank
AI at Alfa-Bank: Scaling Technology, Managing Impact The AI Factory at One of Russia's Most Tech-Savvy Banks: How it works
Keynote Speaker:
- Kirill Smolin, Head of the International Fintech Projects, Alfa Bank
12:30
Keynote - Gold Partner – Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan Africa
Huawei Full-Stack AI for Fintech: Unlocking the Next 300% ROI
Keynote Speaker:
- Lunga Zonke, Chief Technology Officer, Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan Africa
12:50
Keynote - Gold Partner – Zigram
How a modern AML system contributes to business success
Keynote Speaker:
- Rahul Pagare, Co-Founder, Director & Head of Middle East,ZIGRAM Global Technologies Pvt Ltd
13:10
Keynote – Gold Partner – PayInc
Interoperable Cross-Border Solutions For Economic Growth
Keynote Speaker:
- Meera Sunker, Head of TCIB, PayInc
13:30
Networking Lunch
14:30
Panel – Payments
Rebuilding Africa’s Payments Backbone: Real-Time Infrastructure, Inclusion, and the Future of Digital Commerce
Moderator:
- Brian Mahlangu, Head of Strategy and Commercialisation (Interim), Absa Group
Panelists:
- Shelley Havemann, Head of Payments, VALR
- Thato Lesetla, Lead Technology: Payments, Capitec
- Shantal Michael, Head of Innovation, Investec Wealth & Investment International
- Akhona C Bashe, Lead: Strategic Partnerships and New Capability Development, Liberty Group
15:10
Networking Break & Boutique Exhibition Visits
14:55
Keynote – Gold Partner – PayInc
15:30
Keynote – Gold Partner – Payaza
Financial Inclusion Beyond Access: Designing Products for Real Economic Impact
Keynote Speaker:
- Seyi Ebenezer, Chief Executive Officer, Payaza Africa Limited
15:45
Keynote – Financial technology Visionary
Forging Inclusive Digital Finance: Tokenisation, Stablecoins, and Innovation for Scalable Impact in Africa
Keynote Speaker:
- Nkahiseng Ralepeli, VP of Product for Digital Assets, Absa (CIB)
16:00
Closing Remarks by Conference Chair
16:05
