Afreximbank has announced the confirmed speakers for the 2026 African Compliance Forum, which it describes as the largest compliance gathering in Africa. The forum will be held in Gaborone, Botswana from 16 to 18 November 2026, at the Gaborone International Convention Centre, in partnership with the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).
According to the bank, discussions will focus on regulatory fragmentation and barriers across African markets, improving access to banking messaging services, and how technology can be used to strengthen compliance while facilitating cross-border trade.
Confirmed speakers include regulators and fintech leaders
Afreximbank said the following speakers have been confirmed:
- His Excellency Lesego Kaster Mosiakga, Governor, Bank of Botswana
- Dr. Patrick Ndzana Olumw, Acting Director of Economic Development, Integration and Trade, and Head of Economic Development and Sustainable Development Policies Unit, African Union Commission
- Louis Kuberng, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Clearium Group
- Shane Riddle, Chief Executive Officer, Elucidate
- Sophia Barr, Global Head of Risk and Compliance, Weif Mobile Money Group
- Mokgetsi Ramatibа, Financial Institutions Regulator (NBFIRA)
- Nelly Nnunyoni, Head of Private Sector, Credit and Trade Bank Group in Zimbabwe
- Moira Mabondo, Head of Compliance, National Trading Bank of Zimbabwe Limited
- Boitumilo William, Continental Reinsurance Company
The bank also said compliance specialists from Dow Jones and Standard Chartered will participate.
Opening session to examine link between compliance and trade
Afreximbank said the forum will be held under the theme “Better Compliance, Better Trade: Harnessing Compliance to Support Africa’s Regulatory Framework for Economic and Intra-African Trade Integration”. It added that the programme will explore how African markets can work more effectively together while maintaining national regulatory sovereignty.
The opening session, “Does Better Compliance Lead to Better Trade?”, is expected to examine how regulatory cooperation can facilitate cross-border business, with additional sessions planned on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, sanctions, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and the use of artificial intelligence in compliance.
Banking messaging and customer onboarding among key topics
In Afreximbank’s statement, improving access to banking messaging services is described as a central focus. Louis Kuberng, founder and CEO of Clearium Group, said many African banks still face barriers in reaching messaging services, citing limited visibility across payment chains and arguing that improving transparency can help the industry assess and manage risk “on a case-by-case basis”.
Sophia Barr, global head of risk and compliance at Weif Mobile Money Group, said fintech companies are “rewriting the rules” for financial inclusion and efficiency, and that combining international technology with risk-based customer onboarding processes can deliver cost-effective, simple and reliable services within a compliant ecosystem, according to the press release.
AI-enabled compliance exhibition planned
The forum is also set to include an exhibition featuring AI-supported compliance systems for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, Afreximbank said. The bank said the exhibition will allow participants to interact with emerging technologies intended to enhance risk detection, monitoring and reporting.
Why the forum is being held
Afreximbank said the announcement comes as financial institutions face new pressures from AI, automation, cybersecurity concerns, third-party risks and varying regulatory requirements. It added that the forum aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to review compliance strategies in a changing financial environment.
In remarks attributed to Afreximbank’s compliance director, the bank said African institutions operate under legal and supervisory approaches that vary widely in maturity across the continent, and that it argues for interoperability that reduces friction without compromising regulatory sovereignty.
