The evolving role of governance, ethical leadership, and internal audit in strengthening accountability across Africa will come under the spotlight when the 12th African Federation of Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) Conference takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 25 to 29 May 2026.
Hosted by the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIA South Africa) on behalf of AFIIA, the event will bring together internal audit leaders, Chief Audit Executives, board and audit committee members, governance, risk and compliance professionals, executives, regulators and oversight stakeholders from across the continent.
The opening day of the AFIIA Governance Forum on 25 May is expected to be one of the week’s most significant moments, with Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, the Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa, delivering the keynote address.
The same day will also feature a dedicated session on “King V: Advancing Ethical & Effective Leadership Across Africa”, led by independent governance and audit advisor Anton van Wyk.
For Arlene-Lynn Volmink, CEO of IIA South Africa, the timing of the forum is significant.
“Africa does not lack governance ambition. Instead, the focus is on whether organisations have the oversight, discipline and internal capability to turn governance principles into better decisions, stronger controls and accountable leadership,” says Volmink. “Internal audit has a critical role to play in this, particularly as boards and public institutions face growing pressure to prove that governance frameworks are working in practice.”
The Governance Forum, which runs from 25 to 26 May, will explore governance as a driver of performance, resilience and ethical leadership. Sessions will address integrity and anti-corruption, emerging risks and disruption, audit committee oversight, organisational resilience, and the move from traditional assurance towards governance insight and value creation.
The wider AFIIA programme includes the 4th AFIIA University, from 25 to 26 May, which will support internal audit professionals, governance practitioners, academics and students with practical subject matter expertise and learning on audit quality, data analytics, AI, business resilience, cybersecurity, third-party risk and ethical culture.
The main AFIIA Conference, running from 27 to 29 May, will broaden the conversation to include ESG transformation, technology and data-driven auditing, internal audit strategy, internal audit function effectiveness and the profession’s contribution to sustainable value creation across Africa.
The conference is held under the theme “Sikelel’ iAfrika: One IIA, One Africa, One Voice”, reflecting AFIIA’s role as a unified continental voice for internal audit.