The World CIO 200 Summit South Africa Edition successfully brought together the country’s leading CIOs, technology executives, and digital innovators at The Forum, South Africa, on 06 August 2026 for a day of insightful discussions, collaboration, and recognition of technology excellence.
As part of the global World CIO 200 Summit 2026 journey, the South Africa edition served as a powerful platform for technology leaders to exchange knowledge, build communities, and explore the evolving role of CIOs in driving digital transformation, AI adoption, cybersecurity resilience, sustainability, and business innovation.
The summit opened with a Welcome Note by Abdul Kader Baba, President, South Africa Global CIO Forum, followed by the Opening Address by Ronak Samantaray, CEO & Co-Founder, Global Enterprise Connect.
Under the theme of Community – Building Connection, Empowering Communities, the summit featured a Leadership Keynote by Dr. Andile Ngcaba, Executive Chairman & Founding Partner, Convergence Partners & Solcon Capital, highlighting the importance of collaboration and digital ecosystems in shaping Africa’s technology future.
The Partner’s Note by Orbus – Architecting Business Resilience in an AI-Driven World highlighted the importance of building secure, adaptive, and resilient enterprises in the era of artificial intelligence.
A key highlight of the community track was the panel discussion “Beyond Technology: The CIO’s Role in Shaping People, Communities and Africa’s Digital Future”, which explored how CIOs are driving collaboration, innovation, strategic partnerships, and digital inclusion across Africa.
The session was moderated by Jenny Mohanlall, GCF Executive Board Member, South Africa Global CIO Forum, with panelists:
- Tumelo Zwane, CIO, Special Investigation Unit (SIU)
- Kevin Wilson, General Manager Group IT Services, Stefanutti Stocks Holdings Limited
- Mosa Nyamande, CEO & Founder, Actualise
The Knowledge track focused on advancing expertise and leadership perspectives, featuring the Leadership Keynote “The Future-Ready C-Suite: Leading Beyond Technology” by Warren Hero, Head of Segment, Product and Process, South Africa Revenue Service, exploring the leadership capabilities and digital mindset required in an AI-driven business environment.
The summit also featured a Partner’s Note by Wajdi Khalid, Senior Manager, Regional Sales (East Arabia & Africa), Recorded Future, focusing on enabling intelligent, secure, and resilient enterprises.
The Health, Wellbeing, Sustainability & Responsible Leadership track addressed the evolving challenges faced by technology leaders through the Leadership Talk “The Burnout-Proof CIO”, exploring resilience, wellbeing, and effective leadership in times of constant disruption.
The session was moderated by Henny Schlebusch, Vice President, South Africa Global CIO Forum, with speakers:
- Abdul Kader Baba, President, South Africa Global CIO Forum
- Francois Van Der Merwe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nihka AI
- Aveena Mothilall, Director Data & Analytics, Twinings
The summit further celebrated collaboration within the technology ecosystem through the Global CIO SA Forum Chapter Video Montage and the Charted CIO Council session: “Building Africa: Next Generation of Digital Leaders – The Power of Collaboration Between the Chartered CIO Council and the Global CIO Forum”, led by John Bosco Arendse, Chairman, Chartered CIO Council.
The Human track highlighted the importance of people-first transformation through the keynote “Human-Centric Digital Transformation: Where Technology Meets Humanity” by Malcolm Vather, CEO, RITS – SA, exploring how purpose-driven technology and human-centric leadership create lasting organisational impact.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Darryl Dennis, GCF Executive Board Member, South Africa Global CIO Forum, recognising the collective efforts of leaders, speakers, partners, and the CIO community.
The World CIO 200 Summit 2026 – South Africa Edition concluded with the prestigious CIO 200 Recognition & Felicitation Ceremony, celebrating exceptional technology leaders who are driving innovation, transformation, and digital excellence across South Africa.
Master
- Mohammed Khan – Alexforbes
- Pulkit Kapur – Hollard Insurance
- Tando Luyaba – Information Regulator of South Africa
- Professor Stella Bvuma – SITA / University of Johannesburg
- Zanele Hala – PetroSA
Legend
- Nigel Mangwanda – Absa Group
- Andile Ngcaba – Convergence Partners
- Intikhab Shaik – South African Revenue Service (SARS)
- Aveena Mothilall – Twinings (Associated British Foods)
- Norbit Williams – Eskom
- Dr. Marothi Philip Lemekwane – University of South Africa (Unisa)
- Gareth Sieberhagen – in2food
- Deon Hasse – IBS Holdings / IBS Information Systems (Pty) Ltd
The recognition celebrated these visionary leaders for their outstanding contributions towards advancing technology, enabling digital transformation, and strengthening South Africa’s digital ecosystem.
The World CIO 200 Summit 2026 – South Africa Edition reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, community-driven innovation, and visionary technology leadership in shaping Africa’s digital future.
The global summit journey continues towards the World CIO 200 Summit 2026 Grand Finale, taking place from 22–24 September 2026 in Sri Lanka, bringing together technology leaders from across the world for the ultimate celebration of digital leadership.
