Louise van der Bank, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of AfriSam, is a business and technology leader who has redefined the role of CIO as a catalyst for digital innovation, business transformation, and sustainable growth. She brings over two decades of IT leadership experience across multinational corporations, private enterprises, and state-owned entities.

Recognised for her strategic foresight and ability to lead in complex environments, Louise drives AfriSam’s digital transformation journey with a clear focus on operational excellence, data-driven insights, and people empowerment. Her collaborative leadership style and passion for developing talent have fostered a culture of innovation, agility, and accountability.

With a proven record of delivering large-scale transformation programmes and measurable business outcomes, Louise continues to position technology as a true enabler of strategic value. She champions emerging technologies—from AI and automation to advanced analytics—to enhance productivity and customer experience while advancing sustainability goals.

Louise holds a BSc in Computer Science and a Higher Education Diploma from North-West University, and she completed executive programmes through Assessment Technologies International and the Darden Business School, University of Virginia, USA.

In 2019, she became one of the first CIOs to achieve Professional CIO certification at the highest level and was honoured with the “Decade of CIO Service” award in 2024 for her significant contributions to IT leadership. Louise was also named “Visionary CIO of the Year” in 2025 in recognition of her visionary leadership and strategic use of ICT to drive innovation, transformation, and measurable business value.

IT Executive, CIO and Non-Executive Director, with +25 years’ professional experience that span various sectors: Automotive, FMCG, Public Sector, Tech., and Financial Services. A Digital Transformation (Dx) evangelist with demonstrable strengths in aligning business and IT strategies, delivering large scale solution architectures and complex development projects.
– Experienced in financial services systems, incl. Banking, Fintech, trading platforms, and Straight Through Processing (STP).
– Experienced in car rental architecture, incl. integration with Global Distribution Systems (GDS), tourism industry partners, and designing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) capabilities.
– A Cybersecurity and, GRC advocate, with strong knowledge of legislative & compliance prescripts, incl. PCI DSS, Companies Act, GDPR, POPIA, PFMA, et al.
– An energetic people leader with proven abilities to effectively lead and work in complex business environments.
– An experienced conference speaker, presenter and panel participant; and a member of ISACA, IDC CIO Advisory Council, and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA).IT

Reinhardt Gerber is the Group Head of IT at Sea Harvest, looking after the IT infrastructure and applications of the Group. Since taking over as Head of IT in 2014, he has led the company’s full transition into a private cloud environment and recently migrated to the public cloud. He also completed the company’s transition to the O365 platform, adopting SharePoint Online, OneDrive and MS Teams, allowing remote working and access to information anywhere at any time. During his time as Head of IT, Sea Harvest has grown substantially through acquisitions, and as Group Head of IT, he was responsible for the IT integration between all these entities.
His background is in Software Development and ERP consulting, with a strong Financial background, and as business analyst has overseen extensive Microsoft Dynamics NAV implementations over the course of his career.

Experienced Head of IT with a demonstrated history of working in the fishing industry. Skilled in Outsource and Vendor management, Infrastructure Management, Business Process Analysis, ERP Implementations, Databases Management, QlikView / QlikSense Development and Leadership. Strong information technology professional with a Bacelourius Commercia focused in Computer Science and Economics from University of Stellenbosch.

My purpose is to ignite the magic within and in turn spark the magic in others. With over 2 decades in IT, spanning across local, regional and global roles, I hold an MBA degree and have over 10 years experience in leadership roles strategically business partnering executives on IT strategy and operations. I am passionate about igniting a spark of magic within people and the crucial role of technology to become a strategic differentiator for businesses.

• Directed 4th Industrial Revolution Initiatives: Led initiatives including Big Data, Blockchain technology, and AI, focusing on integrating cutting-edge technologies to drive operational efficiencies and innovation.
• Developed AI Roadmaps and Strategies: Collaborated with business leaders to identify opportunities where AI could be leveraged to solve complex challenges and deliver exceptional business outcomes.
• Strategic IT Leadership: Formulated and executed IT strategies aligned with corporate goals, ensuring the technological direction supported the overall vision and objectives of DRDGOLD.
• Project and Program Management: Oversaw multiple large-scale projects and programs, ensuring they were delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Risk and Governance: Reported to the Risk and Audit Board Committees, ensuring that all technological implementations complied with regulatory requirements and best practices.
• Vendor and Contract Management: Negotiated contracts and managed relationships with technology and business vendors, ensuring the best value and service for the company.
• Team Leadership: Led a diverse team of IT professionals, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Digital Transformation: Spearheaded digital transformation initiatives, driving change across the organization and improving processes through the implementation of advanced technologies.

Viren Naidu is the CIO of Hollard Insurance, a position he has held since 2019. He is a seasoned IT executive with more than 16 years of combined experience in the financial, retail, and technology services industries. His biggest strengths lie in communicating corporate vision, information systems management, and fostering a workplace culture and work ethic through the implementation of DevOps practices and principles. Viren holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management.

An IT Executive with ICT career of over 29-years, equipped with a proven track record of excellent delivery and transformation of ICT divisions together with business technology direction.

2020 Visionary CIO of the Year in South Africa (IITPSA) Winner.

2021 Africa Chief Information Officer Award Winner in Africa (AFICTA- Africa ICT Alliance)

Joined Wits in May 2017 as its Chief Information Officer (CIO) with expertise in ICT business strategy, digital transformation, cybersecurity, mobile strategy and cloud strategy. Within a short period of time, the ICT team was able to transform Wits’ technology capability by positively influencing methods of learning, teaching, and research. Envisioned the concept of the “Smart Classroom” which was approved in 2018 and combined with the University’s “Blended Learning” objective. The implementation of Blended Learning gave Wits University the “edge” and advantage in its response to COVID19, adopting full online learning and teaching in less than a month under my stewardship.

Wits ICT was further recognized by the University’s Senior Executive Team (SET) and the University Council amidst the pandemic as central to the successful learning and teaching, the University continued seamlessly throughout the year 2020. I had the mammoth task of changing the ICT culture leading to 2020 and this led to the ICT division being rated by the Senior Executive Team and the University Council amongst one of the University’s best rated in the score card results.

In addition to my current CIO role, I am acquainted with taking leadership roles external to Wits University:

– Chair Person of HEITSA: A Board of CIOs from 26 Government Universities.

– Member of Ministerial Task Team for Higher Education, and

– Board Member of Tertiary Education & Research Network of South Africa (TENET)

– Council Member of Cranefield College

Disciplined, influential, ethical, and copes very well in difficult terrain and “fixer” of chaos. I am competent at developing and executing strategies, implementing governance structures, and developing a service catalogue to manage service and Service Level Agreements. I have over the years proven my abilities in the public sector, including Eskom Enterprises & Transnet before joining Wits University.

I hold the principles of ownership and accountability closely and prefer using agile methods, skilled in Innovation Management, Youth Development, Tech-savvy, Business Savvy, and Decision-Making.

Mthoko Mncwabe serves as the CIO of ACSA. Previously, he was the group CIO of the South African Post Office and Postbank for four years. In that role, he was responsible for the national postal service’s strategic technology vision, business revenue development, and business operations. In addition, he promoted the post office as a hi-tech hub and looked to attract IT investment and partnerships. Prior to the post office position, he worked for eight years at ABSA/Barclays Africa. He focused on delivering and supporting numerous business and IT solutions across a diverse client portfolio. In his current role at ACSA, he ensures the performance of business-critical applications. He continues to grow ACSA’s core digital platforms and reporting systems and execute a cost-effective platform strategy.

A seasoned IT professional with 22 years of extensive experience across various industries, I serve as a Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Data Privacy Officer (DPO). My expertise spans the realms of Banking and Financial Services, FMCG, Medical, ICT, Mining, and Motor industries. With a diverse skill set encompassing Leadership, IoT, Digital Transformation, GRC, Cybersecurity, AI, Strategy, POPI and GDPR, I excel in shaping and executing comprehensive business strategies. My international and local relationship-building skills and work experience have fostered a deep understanding of diversity, and my commitment to mentorship is evident in coaching the younger generations with hands-on experience. From managing multimillion-euro budgets, overseeing SAP life-cycle implementations, and making tangible differences professionally and socially, Managing strict governance and compliance, to being recognized among the Top 50 Women in Cyber in Africa 2020 and as the Winner of the Legend Award 2025 at the CIO 200 Summit, my journey reflects a dedication to excellence, innovation, and empowering the next generation.A seasoned IT professional with 22 years of extensive experience across various industries, I serve as a Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Data Privacy Officer (DPO). My expertise spans the realms of Banking and Financial Services, FMCG, Medical, ICT, Mining, and Motor industries. With a diverse skill set encompassing Leadership, IoT, Digital Transformation, GRC, Cybersecurity, AI, Strategy, POPI and GDPR, I excel in shaping and executing comprehensive business strategies. My international and local relationship-building skills and work experience have fostered a deep understanding of diversity, and my commitment to mentorship is evident in coaching the younger generations with hands-on experience. From managing multimillion-euro budgets, overseeing SAP life-cycle implementations, and making tangible differences professionally and socially, Managing strict governance and compliance, to being recognized among the Top 50 Women in Cyber in Africa 2020 and as the Winner of the Legend Award 2025 at the CIO 200 Summit, my journey reflects a dedication to excellence, innovation, and empowering the next generation.

Faith Burn serves as the CIO of Eskom Holdings. She is also a non-executive director of South African National Blood Services and a co-founder and director of Kingdom Consultant Centre, a non-profit organization that aims to educate children from disadvantaged communities. Previously, she was the CIO of Tsebo Solutions Group where she was responsible for the IT services in 28 countries. Prior to that role, she was head of IT at Novartis where she oversaw IT and information governance management in 43 countries. She has extensive business experience across diverse sectors such as telecommunications, financial services, aviation and aerospace, construction, education, services, and mining. She further has internationally recognized and/or accredited certifications in the fields of project management, business continuity management, and computer science. She has received numerous awards, including the 2023 Public Sector CIO of the Year Award by CIO South Africa.

Nomonde is an award-winning executive and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Bidvest Bank, recognized as the 2023 Top Performer for her transformative contributions. With over two decades of experience, she has excelled in leading technological advancements and driving organizational growth in the financial and multinational sectors. Her career includes senior roles at ABSA Group, including Head of Governance, Risk, and Compliance, Joint-CIO for Infrastructure Services, and Head of Technology for ABSA Regional Operations. She also worked at British American Tobacco, where she further developed her leadership expertise.

At Bidvest Bank, Nomonde’s strategic vision has been central to the bank’s turnaround. In just 18 months, she significantly improved operations and technology, earning her widespread recognition. She is a passionate advocate for gender parity in technology, serving as Chairperson of Wired4Women, an initiative that champions women’s advancement in the tech industry through mentorship, visibility, and opportunities.

Her leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including being named Visionary CIO of the Year and Young CIO of the Year at the 2024 CIO South Africa Awards. Nomonde’s ability to innovate and lead high-performance teams has cemented her reputation as one of South Africa’s top technology leaders.

Academically, Nomonde holds an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and a BA Law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has also completed executive programs at prestigious institutions, including MIT, Harvard, LSE, and Kellogg. These academic achievements complement her professional expertise, allowing her to successfully integrate business strategy with technology innovation.

Nomonde is deeply committed to youth development and leadership. As a OneYoung World Ambassador since 2015, she has mentored young professionals and helped foster leadership potential in the next generation of leaders. Her dedication to community involvement extends to advocating for greater representation of underrepresented groups in technology, ensuring they have the support to thrive.

Nomonde remains dedicated to shaping the future of technology with a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. Her leadership continues to inspire others to break barriers and create impactful, sustainable change within the tech sector.

With more than two decades of IT expertise, Wilma has navigated strategic planning, digital transformations, stakeholder management, systems design, and leadership. Her rich professional journey spans diverse industries, including financial services, mining, telecommunications, engineering, retail, insurance, media, healthcare, and research and development. Having worked across various countries and immersed herself in different cultures, she has honed invaluable life skills and interpersonal acumen. As a dedicated advisory board member for the Women In Technology SA Chapter, Wilma actively contributes to the growth and empowerment of young women in South Africa.”
Wilma’s entrepreneurial expertise became evident as she founded and co-owned two thriving IT consulting firms. Her relentless passion for all things digital propels her to constantly seek out and engage with new technological frontiers.”
Outside of her professional achievements, Wilma channels her passion into creating impactful forums. These spaces empower individuals to step into leadership roles, enhance their skills, offer mentorship, and engage in round table discussions. Through these connections, women find common ground based on shared experiences, interests, and aspirations.”

Jonathan Tullett is Associate Research Director for IT Services across Sub-Saharan Africa. His specialist areas include IT services, outsourcing, cloud computing, information security, and digital transformation.

Originally from the U.K. and currently based in Johannesburg, Jonathan has spent two decades working in technology and media across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In addition to consulting and research, he has worked in cybersecurity and application development.

Jonathan leads research and consulting projects across Sub-Saharan Africa as well as engagements in Europe and the Middle East, helping customers navigate emerging digital business opportunities, refine competitive go-to-market strategies, and gain insights into regional market performance.

Jonathan combines a deep understanding of both business and technology to deliver actionable insights for clients, who include global hyperscale cloud providers, regional telecom operators, local and global systems integrators, and managed service providers, as well as end-user organizations including financial services and government.

Jaco Coetzee is the CIO of FNB Cash Investments. He is currently involved in various technical skills development initiatives within FirstRand Group, with a focus on breaching the critical skills gap. Throughout his career, Jaco has worked in and managed many disciplines across the IT landscape, including BI and application development, infrastructure and operations, and architecture. This invaluable experience has gained him an in-depth appreciation of the various teams that he now leads as CIO. Jaco is also a certified PMI Agile Certified Practitioner.

IT Executive, CIO and Non-Executive Director, with +25 years’ professional experience that span various sectors: Automotive, FMCG, Public Sector, Tech., and Financial Services. A Digital Transformation (Dx) evangelist with demonstrable strengths in aligning business and IT strategies, delivering large scale solution architectures and complex development projects.
– Experienced in financial services systems, incl. Banking, Fintech, trading platforms, and Straight Through Processing (STP).
– Experienced in car rental architecture, incl. integration with Global Distribution Systems (GDS), tourism industry partners, and designing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) capabilities.
– A Cybersecurity and, GRC advocate, with strong knowledge of legislative & compliance prescripts, incl. PCI DSS, Companies Act, GDPR, POPIA, PFMA, et al.
– An energetic people leader with proven abilities to effectively lead and work in complex business environments.
– An experienced conference speaker, presenter and panel participant; and a member of ISACA, IDC CIO Advisory Council, and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA).IT

Devi Moodley is a digital transformer with extensive experience in developing digital strategies and implementing them across the entire organization. Delivery-focused with experience in IT turnaround and transformation, agile leadership in complex programs and organizations, DevOps, Cloud Management, IT sourcing, Business Process, Strategy, and General Management. Banking, Management Consulting, and Utilities are among the industries in which I have worked.

Ian Engelbrecht has over 10 years of IT experience, which gives him a unique ability to apply technology, in all its forms, to business processes. Engelbrecht’s business process knowledge includes accounting, finance, facilities, inventory control, budgeting, vendor management and various operational processes.

Engelbrecht’s experience spans out to include support in merger/acquisition environments, with high growth challenges, technology replacement projects, and IT process improvement. He has grown his career from a Field Support Engineer to Cloud Server Administrator to Cloud Solutions Architect joined Veeam in 2018 as Senior Systems Engineer and later promoted for Team Leader and Manager, Systems Engineering for Africa.

Before joining Veeam Software, Engelbrecht worked at organizations such as Gijima, Arcserve, Lenovo and Tarsus. His exposure to the cloud has aided him in growing fundamental skills that enable him to make sense of future computing concepts.

Nick Black is the Director of Sales for the Southern African region. In this role, he and his team are shaping strategy, creating opportunities, building sustainable partner relationships, and establishing infrastructure to drive growth across Southern Africa. He brings more than 25 years of technology sales experience and is responsible for delivering robust and sustainable revenue growth at Tenable. Prior to Tenable Nick worked with various technology vendors in the Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing and virtualization spaces across the Middle East and Africa.

Kevin Wilson serves as the general manager for group IT at Stefanutti Stocks. He joined the company to pursue the challenge of managing group ICT services and providing systems and solutions to diverse building and construction divisions. He was previously involved in integration projects and spent a few years managing software development projects. He has a background in delivering technical services and managing corporate ICT companies. He has experience in cloud, infrastructure, networking, telephony, development, and business intelligence. He keenly supports open-source solutions and is a Linux enthusiast.

Over twenty years experience in Information and Communications Technology. Forward thinking professional with experience in the Data Centre, including data protection, disaster recovery, high availability, replication, virtualisation, SAN connectivity, networking, storage and management. Included is Cloud based technologies.

Ekta Puthran heads the sales and marketing team for Barco’s Meeting Experience across Asia/Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, where she continues to drive significant growth and foster inclusive, innovative business environments. Ekta is an entrepreneurial and results-driven senior executive with over a decade of experience in the technology industry.

She has successfully collaborated with channel ecosystems, governments, and corporations on their transformational journeys in new-age collaboration and communication. She has a proven track record in delivering double-digit profitable growth, building and leading high-performing teams, coordinating critical breakthrough initiatives, leading rapid business turnarounds, and scaling businesses in both existing and new markets. A multi-award-winning tech leader and advocate for women in technology, Ekta is passionate about future innovations and sustainable solutions that improve people’s lives through digital transformation.

Daniel Action serves as the chief technology officer of ADG. He is responsible for leading engineering and delivery across the group. He brings over 20 years of experience in cloud architecture, DevOps, and enterprise solutions. He previously served as Google Cloud’s regional tech lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, where he led large-scale cloud transformation projects. He also held senior roles at Barclays and Oracle.

Eugene Moodley is a seasoned IT executive and the current Chief Information Officer at Sanlam Collective Investments. With over twenty years of experience, Eugene has honed his skills in spearheading technological innovations and seamlessly integrating IT strategies with core business goals.
Having accumulated his experience via various technical and leadership roles, his technical acumen goes hand in hand with his dedication to mentoring and building up IT professionals, ensuring that his teams are not just skilled but are also at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge solutions.

Tshepo Leballo is a senior solutions engineer at Cloudera with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He specializes in collaborating with C-suite executives and decision-makers to align technological solutions with strategic business goals. Throughout his career, Tshepo has guided organizations across diverse industries in adopting innovative technologies, helping them harness data and AI to tackle complex challenges. Passionate about leveraging data to solve real-world problems, he combines technical expertise with a business-oriented approach to ensure customers maximize the value of Cloudera’s solutions, driving impactful results and transformative growth at the executive level. At the upcoming IDC South Africa CIO Summit, Tshepo will showcase how Cloudera’s platform solves complex challenges with AI and analytics, delivering actionable insights to fuel innovation and operational efficiency.

Shabir Bhat serves as the regional director for the Middle East, India, and Africa at Checkmarx. He boasts 15+ years of expertise as a cybersecurity evangelist. Recognized for his dynamic speaking and thought leadership, he engages with enterprises and government bodies, sharing profound insights on application security trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. His commitment extends beyond his role at Checkmarx as he passionately promotes awareness and education in the ever-evolving field of application security.

Blake Davidson serves as the chief operating officer of MagicOrange. He has extensive experience working for several global enterprises in the financial services sector. A chartered accountant, he studied in South Africa and completed his articles with one of the country’s big four accounting firms. After gaining valuable experience in Edinburgh and London, he returned to South Africa, bringing his mature skill set to MagicOrange.

Alan de Waal-Smit is a seasoned IT professional with over 20 years of experience navigating the evolving worlds of software, ERP, and infrastructure management. From his early days as a Regional Account Manager to his current role as Head of Sales at ITR Technology (ManageEngine South Africa), Alan has made it his mission to connect businesses with the right IT solutions.

What sets Alan apart is his focus on people. For him, it’s not just about sales; it’s about building meaningful relationships that last. He believes every business is unique, and his in-depth product knowledge, coupled with his knack for understanding individual requirements, allows him to craft solutions that fit like a glove.

Alan’s passion lies in simplifying IT for enterprises. Whether it’s optimising processes, automating workflows, or improving end-user experiences, his goal is always to help businesses run smoother, faster, and smarter. He’s a firm believer in the power of collaboration and prioritises service excellence to ensure his clients thrive.

At the heart of it all, Alan is driven by a love for innovation, strong partnerships, and finding new ways to create value. When it comes to IT, Alan doesn’t just sell solutions—he helps businesses succeed.

Lloyd Timcke leads Rubrik’s business in Africa and Israel. With a client centric focus, he educates and ensures organizations guard against the risks relating to cyberattacks, downtime, inability to operate, and sensitive data exposure.

My purpose is to ignite the magic within and in turn spark the magic in others. With over 2 decades in IT, spanning across local, regional and global roles, I hold an MBA degree and have over 10 years experience in leadership roles strategically business partnering executives on IT strategy and operations. I am passionate about igniting a spark of magic within people and the crucial role of technology to become a strategic differentiator for businesses.

Digital/Innovation Executive with a keen interest in exploring ways in which organizations may differentiate themselves (Business model innovation), more notably, in how organizations can align everyday practitioner practices to the organizational vision and make a considerable impact in the lives of their end-customers (Strategizing). I believe innovation to be an innate behavior and focus many of my efforts in finding avenues to unleash and manage this innovative potential in organizations, be it through technology, practices, processes, or good old dialogue (Innovation management).

Mbusiswa Nyuswa serves as CTO at Old Mutual iWYZE, where his role is defined by a commitment to strategic IT leadership, emphasizing agile solutions and strong organizational strategy. He is focused on meticulous resource planning and enhancing stakeholder relations to ensure that all technology initiatives are perfectly aligned with the company’s overarching business objectives. Steering the Information and Technology division, Mbusiswa drives a culture of continuous improvement and innovation among his team. Through these collaborative efforts, he has a proven track record of meeting critical deadlines, adhering to service-level agreements, and delivering high-quality results that not only improve customer experiences but also solidify the company’s competitive position in the fast-paced insurance industry.

Sibusiso is a seasoned IT Executive with over 20 years of experience in end-to-end Information and Communication technology (ICT). His experience varies from Systems Analysis & Design, Development, Architecture and Operationalisation. Sibusiso has established himself to be a seasoned ICT leader with most of his career has been predominantly within the Insurance and Banking industries.

His passion for people and technology, has led him to master the art of utilising people to solve complex business problems. With his attention to details, Sibusiso has managed end-to-end ICT portfolios with multimillions budgets.

Sibusiso regards himself as an Agile evangelist and in his previous roles he specialised in SCRUM and Agile adoption and implementation. He is well vested in the Agile and SCRUM methodology and have applied the methodology in achieving consistent delivery of massive-scale projects.

Prior to joining PPS, Sibusiso held prominent positions such as the IT Executive at Clientele, Head of Technology at Absa Investment Management, the CIO for Momentum Multiply and the CIO for Momentum Metropolitan Africa.

His educational background includes a national diploma in Information Technology from Tshwane University of Technology, a bachelor’s degree in IT from Unisa, Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Masters in Management: Digital Business from Wits Business School. He has successfully completed a certification on “Organic Agility” that specialises on Agile in Business Leadership.

As the CIO for PPS New Ventures, Sibusiso Mbingo is responsible for the information technology division and play a key role in shaping and driving the success of this exciting new business endeavour.