Johannesburg, South Africa | 14 October 2026 | NH Johannesburg Sandton
Senior banking and financial-services leaders from across Southern Africa will converge in Johannesburg on 14 October 2026 at the NH Johannesburg Sandton for the 28th Edition Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards.
The summit, organised by ICSA, will explore the theme “Advancing Intelligent Banking, Security, and Enterprise Digital Modernization in South Africa” and examine how institutions can turn digital investment into stronger customer experiences, resilient operations, improved security and sustainable growth.
Why the Conversation Matters
Financial institutions are navigating a convergence of AI, digital payments, cybersecurity, data, automation and enterprise modernisation. These technologies are creating new opportunities while also introducing new operational, regulatory and security considerations. The summit is designed to bring these priorities into one executive conversation.
From Strategy to Implementation
Sessions will examine the practical side of transformation: where AI can create measurable value, how cyber resilience can be embedded into financial infrastructure, how data can support better decisions, how payment systems are evolving, and how banks can modernise without losing sight of trust, governance and customer needs.
Senior Leaders Shaping the Conversation
The summit will feature senior decision-makers from leading financial institutions and organisations across Southern Africa, with perspectives spanning compliance, digital transformation, cybersecurity, data, payments, strategy, economics and financial innovation.
Liam Reddy — Chief Compliance Officer, State Bank of India, South Africa
Paul Eccleston — Scored Product Head, FNB South Africa
Pascalle Brigitte (Gerrard) Albrecht — Executive: Commercial Issuing, Absa Group
Keshani Ganasen — Integrated Advice CEO, FNB South Africa
Francois Benjamin — Chief Operating Officer, Access Bank South Africa
McDonald Chigumba — Head: Treasury and Capital Management, Bidvest Bank
Brian Mahlangu — Head Strategy & Digital Commercialisation (Interim), Absa Group
Malebo Sefula — Group Head: Data Governance, Investec
Tsebeletso Mashau — CIO Africa Regions, Standard Bank Group
Kgotso Buys — Chief Information Officer: Investment Banking, RMB – Rand Merchant Bank
Nqobile Kubeka — Data Head for Global Markets, Standard Bank Group
Sanisha Packirisamy — Group Economist, Momentum Group
Khetha Cele — Group Chief Information Officer, Ithala Development Finance Corporation
Thembela Khedama, MBA — Executive Head: Digital Marketing, Standard Bank
Mandla Mbasane — Chief Information Security Officer, National Housing Finance Corporation SA
Doreen Mokoena — Chief Information Security Officer, Cybersec Clinique
Richard Simanga Ngwenya — Founder & Chairman, Nisela Capital & Honeybadger Family Office
Gold Sponsors: Technology Perspectives at the Heart of the Agenda
Tether, Group-IB and EvonSys will participate as Gold Sponsors, with dedicated sponsor sessions and opportunities for delegates to engage with their technologies and areas of expertise.
Tether | Gold Sponsor
Tether is the issuer of USD₮ and describes itself as the largest company in the digital asset industry. The company states that USD₮ has more than $184 billion in circulation and 673 million users worldwide. Its work focuses on digital financial infrastructure and expanding access to a stable digital dollar across emerging markets. Its participation brings digital assets, stablecoins and payment infrastructure into the wider banking conversation.
Website: https://tether.io/
Group-IB | Gold Sponsor
Founded in 2003, Group-IB develops cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent and combat digital crime. Its Unified Risk Platform includes threat intelligence, fraud protection, digital risk protection, managed XDR, business email protection and external attack surface management. The company will bring perspectives on cyber resilience, fraud prevention and digital risk in financial services.
Website: https://www.group-ib.com/products/unified-risk-platform/
EvonSys | Gold Sponsor
EvonSys helps enterprises and financial institutions modernise operations for the AI era. Its TracEI platform combines automation and AI-powered intelligence for payment exception and investigation processes, supporting workflow standardisation, transparency, traceability and SLA compliance. Its participation will add a practical perspective on payment operations, automation and AI.
Website: https://tracei.com/
SAS | Gold Sponsor
SAS is a global leader in data and AI, helping organizations transform data into trusted decisions through advanced analytics, machine learning and responsible AI. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, SAS delivers software and industry-specific solutions that enable businesses and governments to solve complex challenges, improve performance and drive innovation. Its flagship SAS® Viya® platform provides scalable, cloud-ready capabilities for data management, analytics and AI at enterprise scale. Organizations across financial services, health care, government, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications and other industries rely on SAS to manage risk, combat fraud, optimize operations and enhance customer experiences. Serving customers in more than 150 countries, SAS combines deep industry expertise with a commitment to innovation, transparency and trustworthy AI. SAS gives customers THE POWER TO KNOW®.
Website: https://www.sas.com/en_in/home.html
Executive Networking and Sponsor Sessions
The summit will create opportunities for executive networking, one-to-one conversations, technology demonstrations and strategic engagement. Sponsor sessions will allow participating companies to move beyond product visibility and contribute practical perspectives to the challenges facing modern financial institutions.
Innovation & Excellence Awards
The summit will also feature the Connected Banking Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026, recognising organisations, projects and leaders contributing to the evolution of financial services across areas including digital banking, cybersecurity, financial inclusion, fintech innovation, digital payments, customer experience, data and transformation.
Media Partnership and Industry Reach
The summit is supported by media partners from the banking, financial technology, business and technology ecosystem. Through interviews, event coverage, thought-leadership content and industry reporting, the media partners will help extend the reach of the conversations and insights emerging from Johannesburg.
About the Summit
The 28th Connected Banking Summit is designed as a platform for meaningful executive conversations, strategic networking, technology discovery and collaboration between financial institutions, technology providers and the wider financial-services ecosystem.
28th Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards | Southern Africa 2026
14 October 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | NH Johannesburg Sandton
Theme: Advancing Intelligent Banking, Security, and Enterprise Digital Modernization in South Africa
Organised by International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA)
Connect. Integrate. Transform.
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