Afreximbank has announced the speakers for its 2026 Compliance Forum, scheduled to take place from 16 to 18 November 2026 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre in Botswana. The forum, organised in partnership with the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), will focus on strengthening regulatory cooperation, improving access to financial services, and using technology to support effective compliance across African markets. Discussions will address regulatory fragmentation and barriers across Africa, improve access to correspondent banking services, and explore how technology can strengthen compliance and facilitate cross-border trade.
The forum will feature a range of speakers, including Governor Lesego Caster Moseki of the Bank of Botswana, Dr. Patrick Ndzana Olomo, Ag. Director, Economic Development, Integration and Trade, and Head of Economic Policy and Sustainable Development at the African Union Commission (AUC). Other confirmed speakers include Luis Koberg, Founder and CEO of Klearium Group; Shane Ridel, CEO of Elucidate; Sophie Barre, Global Head of Risk and Compliance at Wave Mobile Money Group; and Mr Mooketsi Ramanteba, Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA). Compliance specialists from Dow Jones and Standard Chartered will also participate.
The forum’s theme, “Better Compliance – Better Trade: Leveraging Compliance to Promote African Regulations that Advance Intra-African Economic and Trade Integration,” will examine how African markets can make their regulatory systems work more effectively together while preserving national sovereignty. Mr Keletsositse Olebile, Chief Executive Officer of the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, said that strong and predictable compliance systems build investor confidence, protect institutions, and create the conditions in which trade and enterprise can flourish.
Idrissa Diop, Compliance Director at Afreximbank, highlighted the need for interoperability that reduces friction while preserving regulatory sovereignty. He invited regulators, compliance specialists, banks, fintechs, trade institutions, and technology providers from across the continent to come to Gaborone ready to turn shared principles into practical cooperation. The opening session, “Is Better Compliance Leading to Better Trade?” , will assess how regulatory cooperation can facilitate cross-border business.
Other sessions at the forum will cover anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, sanctions, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and the use of artificial intelligence in compliance. Access to correspondent banking services will be a key focus, with Luis Koberg noting that many African banks continue to face barriers to accessing correspondent banking services due to limited visibility across the payment chain.
The forum will also examine how fintech and risk-based onboarding can extend access to affordable financial services while meeting compliance requirements. Sophie Barre noted that fintechs are rewriting the rules of financial inclusion and efficiency by combining world-class technology with intelligent, risk-based onboarding. The Compliance Forum will feature an exhibition of AI-enabled anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance systems.
The 2026 Compliance Forum comes as artificial intelligence, automation, cybersecurity, third-party risk, and diverging regulatory requirements place new demands on financial institutions. The forum will provide a platform for stakeholders to redefine compliance strategies for a changing financial environment and develop practical approaches that protect institutions while enabling more efficient movement of capital, goods, and services across African borders.
Key points
- The 2026 Compliance Forum will address regulatory fragmentation and barriers across Africa.
- The forum will explore how technology can strengthen compliance and facilitate cross-border trade.
- The event will feature an exhibition of AI-enabled anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance systems.
