Johannesburg, August 11–13, 2025 – The 2025 Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) South Africa Conference brought together public and private sector leaders, audit professionals, and governance experts for three days of knowledge-sharing, strategic dialogue, and professional recognition. Central to the event was the awarding of the IIA Chairman’s Award to Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke, accepted on her behalf by Deputy Auditor-General Vonani Chauke, honoring her contributions to strengthening governance, accountability, and transparency in South Africa.
The conference, tagged #IIASAConf2025, featured a program designed to address the evolving role of internal audit in ethical leadership, economic resilience, and technological innovation.
Event Highlights
- Keynote Leadership Insights: Ruth Doreen Mutebe, representing AFIIA, opened the conference by discussing leadership in internal audit, framing auditors as agents of influence and impact, rather than solely compliance enforcers.
- Ethical Governance Track: Khumo Basetsana Ditsoane, CAE at Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, emphasized moral fortitude as a cornerstone of ethical leadership, highlighting the need for public and private sector leaders to maintain integrity at all levels.
- Cybersecurity and Risk Management: Grace Letseka, FNB’s Head of Resilience and Data, addressed “The Paradox of Cybersecurity for Internal Auditors,” examining how human behaviour and modern technologies create both vulnerabilities and opportunities in organisational risk management.
- Economic Growth and Governance: Victor Sekese, CEO of SNG Grant Thornton, explored the impact of global inequality, trade tensions, and conflicts on governance and audit priorities, underlining the strategic role internal auditors play in supporting economic growth and organisational resilience.
- Innovation as a Mindset: Ayanda Mafuleka, CEO of FASSET, challenged participants to adopt a culture of courageous experimentation, reminding delegates that failure is often a result of hesitation rather than systemic limitations.
- Practical Audit Applications: Bongi Ngoma, National Head of Audit at AGSA, presented sessions on translating audit into measurable impact, emphasizing that every professional within the accountability ecosystem contributes to organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Collaborative Professional Development: The conference featured the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding between IIA South Africa and ACCA Southern Africa, reinforcing shared commitments to professional standards, innovation, and ethical practices.
Panels and Interactive Sessions
Delegates participated in interactive panels such as “Internal Audit Reimagined”, encouraging agile approaches, technological adoption, and data-driven storytelling to align internal audit with broader business strategy. A Women’s Day-themed panel convened top female leaders from Standard Bank, ABSA, FNB, and INC55, promoting gender representation and leadership in governance.
Takeaways
The 2025 IIA South Africa Conference highlighted the growing influence of internal audit beyond compliance, positioning it as a driver of organisational transformation, public trust, and strategic foresight. Leaders, practitioners, and delegates left the event equipped with practical insights to integrate ethics, innovation, and resilience into their audit functions.For full program details, speaker highlights, and ongoing professional resources, visit IIA South Africa.
