CyberX Africa: Leading Cyber Security Event 2026, Johannesburg, Africa

EVENT OVERVIEW

The biggest cybersecurity gathering in Africa and Johannesburg

The Conference

The People

Best cybersecurity place to network and gain business

The Exhibition

The global cybersecurity market, valued at USD 235.50 billion in 2026, is projected to hit USD 423.43 billion by 2030 at a 12.45% CAGR. Growth is fueled by zero-trust adoption, IT-OT integration, and quantum-ready encryption. North America leads in spending, while Asia-Pacific sees the fastest rise with cloud-first shifts. Rising cyber-insurance demands, platform consolidation, and M&A activity are accelerating unified security adoption.

South Africa’s cybersecurity market is growing rapidly, projected to reach up to USD 4.1 billion by 2030 (~13% CAGR). Growth is fueled by the Cybercrimes Act, cloud adoption, mobile payments, and AI-driven security. Yet, ransomware, digital banking fraud, and AI-powered attacks are rising, with the public sector and critical infrastructure highly exposed. Challenges include a severe skills gap, budget constraints, load-shedding, and complex regulations. To cope, organizations are turning to zero-trust, managed security services, and AI-powered defenses to strengthen resilience.

Aligned with Africa’s digital transformation goals, South Africa is accelerating its cyber resilience journey through progressive regulations, cloud adoption, and AI-driven defenses. Key national strategies emphasize securing critical infrastructure, strengthening financial ecosystems, and building cyber skills for the future workforce. To advance this mission, Johannesburg will host the 30th CyberX Global Series and the Inaugural CyberX Africa Summit on 3rd March 2026, uniting global and African cybersecurity leaders to shape the continent’s secure digital future.

AGENDA

Shaping the Continent’s Cyber Horizon: South Africa’s Leadership for 2030 & Beyond

08:00 – 09:00

Arrival & High-Impact Networking

Registration & Welcome Refreshments

08:55 – 09:00

Welcome Note by the Organizer

Speaker:

Parvez Sheriff, CEO & Commercial Director, BConnect Global

09:00 – 09:15

Grand Opening Keynote: "South Africa's Cybersecurity Vision 2030: Safeguarding the Continent's Digital Future"

Speaker:

Kenneth Palliam, President, ISACA South Africa

09:15 – 10:00

Leadership Panel Discussion: “Africa’s Cyber Crossroads: Strategic Priorities for 2026 & Beyond”

Moderator:

Ashailen Naicker, Commercial IT Risk Manager, FNB South Africa

Panelist:

Sithembile (Nkosi) Songo, Chief Information Security Officer, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd
Dr. More Ickson Manda, Director, National Integrated CyberInfrastructure System, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Kenneth Palliam, President, ISACA South Africa
Mahendra Beharie, Vice President Information Technology, SSA, DHL Express
Joseph Stokes, Group Head: Cyber Security and IT Governance, Telesure Investment Holdings

10:00 – 10:15

Tech Talk: Shifts & Trends in the African Cyber Threat Landscape – how is the threat changing, and what should security teams watch out for in the year ahead

Speaker:

Robert Swanepoel, Technical Expert Sub Saharan Africa, Kaspersky

10:15 – 10:30

Industry Presentation: Leveraging Offensive Security to Optimise the Defensive Security Posture

Speaker:

Darren Gale, Associate Vice President, Sales, Fortra

10:30 – 11:00

Networking Break: Coffee & Connections

Executive Roundtable: Securing Human Risk: How Mimecast drives resilience with Human Risk Management

Speakers:

Shivaar Maharaj, Sales Engineer, Mimecast
Darren Krog, Enterprise Account Executive, Mimecast

11:00 – 11:15

Industry Presentation: “Presentation by emt | QBS”

Speaker:

Mir Hamid Ali, Director – Business Unit Africa, emt | QBS

11:15 – 11:30

Keynote Presentation: “Overview of Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity: A Focus on Digital Substations

Speaker:

Ronny Lehutso, Chief Technologist: Subsation Automation Intergration, National Transmission Company of South Africa

11:30 – 12:15

GRC Panel Discussion: Strengthening Cyber Governance: Risk, Compliance & Regulatory Readiness in Africa”

Moderator:

Pranisha Rama, Senior Lecturer-Governance, Auditing & Cybersecurity Awareness, University of Johannesburg

Panelist:

Oliver Sithole, General Manager:Governance, Risk and Governance, Private Health Administrators PTY LTD
Dr Denisha Jairam-Owthar, Group Chief Information Officer, Council for Medical Schemes
Dr. Xolile Sibande, Senior Manager: Information and Cyber Security.
Zethu Lubisi, ICT Manager - Planning and Governance, Wits University
Chris Gatsi, Chief Internal Auditor (IT), Sibanye-Stillwater
Joseph Stokes, Group Head: Cyber Security and IT Governance, Telesure Investment Holdings

12:15 – 13:15

Power Lunch & Partner Demos

Exhibition Networking & Executive Roundtables

13:15 – 13:30

Keynote Presentation: "Cyber-Aware Organizations: Making Security Everyone's Job"

Speaker:

Zethu Lubisi, ICT Manager - Planning and Governance, Wits University

13:30 – 14:15

ICS / OT Security Panel Discussion: “Defending Critical Operations: Securing Africa’s Industrial & Infrastructure Systems”

Moderator:

Megaree Naraidoo, CIO, Efficient Group

Panelist:

Muvhango Livhusha, Vice President, ISACA
John Bosco Arends, Group Head Information and Network Technology Operations, City of Johannesburg
Simon Nare, Group Information Security Officer, AECI Limited
Ronny Lehutso, Chief Technologist :Subsation Automation Intergration, National Transmission Company of South Africa
Doctor Ngobeni, Information Security Officer, Standard Bank
Jenny Mohanlall, Senior Director: IT Information Officer Data Privacy Officer, DHL Express

14:15 – 14:30

CyberX Africa – Certificate of Appreciation

In Recognition of Outstanding Contribution to Cybersecurity Leadership & Knowledge Sharing

14:30 – 15:00

Official Closing & Networking Farewell

Reflections, Takeaways & Business Card Exchange