DAY 1 | 14 October 2026
HR Without Boundaries: Connecting Capable People, Performance Enabling Technology and National Progress 08:00 - 09:00
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
09:00 – 09:10
MODERATOR’S WELCOME | Clement Manyathela, Award-Winning Radio and Television Broadcaster
09:10 - 09:15
ORGANISERS INTRO| Ralf Fletcher, CEO, Topco Media
09:15 - 09:25
SALGA ADDRESS |Sithole Mbanga, Chief Executive Officer, SALGA
09:25 - 09:35
KEYNOTE ADDRESS |Leadership, Ethics and Organisational Trust: Building Institutions That People Believe In Trust is the invisible currency of high-performing organisations. It is what keeps people engaged when times are tough, drives discretionary effort and turns a group of individuals into a cohesive, purpose-driven team. But trust cannot be mandated or manufactured. It must be earned through consistent actions, authentic leadership and an unwavering commitment to ethical practice. This keynote explores how to model ethical behaviour at every level, how to create systems that reward integrity and how to navigate the ethical challenges. It examines what to do when trust has been broken and how to rebuild it. And it offers a roadmap for leaders who want to build organisations that people genuinely believe in. Because trust is not a nice-to-have. It is the foundation of sustainable performance. Speaker: Dr. Shirly Zinn, Author, Chair and Non-Executive Director of Boards
09:50 - 10:25
PANEL DISCUSSION |From Reactive to Predictive: Why the Future of HR Lies in Workforce Foresight As workforce challenges become increasingly complex, organisations need to look beyond historical reports to guide their people strategies. By leveraging workforce data, predictive analytics and forward-looking insights, HR leaders can anticipate skills shortages, identify retention risks and evaluate future workforce needs before they become business challenges. This panel explores how workforce intelligence can help HR move beyond reporting to become a strategic partner, empowering leaders to make more informed decisions around workforce planning, budgeting and talent investment while building more resilient organisations. Panelists: ● Dr. Mariheca Otto, Founder & MD, Motto Consulting & Surveys ● Nathi Mbulumeti, Sales Director HR & Payroll - AME, Sage ● Dr Kgomotso Mopalami, Head: Professional Solutions and Business, SABPP ● Maureen Makgolane, Senior Manager, Remuneration HRIS & Analytics, SALGA
10:25 - 11:05
PANEL DISCUSSION |Beyond Employee Benefits: Building Resilient Talent
Hosted By
Life is not lived in silos. Every employee faces unique challenges that shape their wellbeing and success. Join us as we explore what matters most to employees, what is keeping them awake at night, and how leading organisations are responding. Through real member insights and expert perspectives, we will discuss practical ways to build resilient talent, strengthen the employee value proposition, and support a thriving workforce. Panelists: ● Butši Tladi, Chief Executive Officer, Alexforbes Corporate ● Belinda Sullivan, Head of Corporate Consulting Strategy, Alexforbes ● Dr Busi Tshabalala, Group Executive: Human Resources, African Rainbow Minerals (ARM)
11:05 - 11:15
KEYNOTE ADDRESS |Arianna Pillay, Marketing Executive, MyMobileZA
11:15 - 11:35
RISE & GRIND | Networking Coffee Break
11:35 - 12:15
PANEL DISCUSSION|HR as Civic Activist: Strengthening Municipal Services, Enhancing Revenue Management and Citizen Responsibility
Hosted By This panel explores the evolving role of HR in building municipalities that are more accountable, service-driven and responsive to the communities they serve. Beyond traditional people management, HR has an opportunity to shape the behaviours, capabilities and organisational culture that influence how public services are delivered. The discussion will examine how municipalities can strengthen
employee
accountability,
improve
revenue
management,
encourage a stronger culture of service and foster greater citizen responsibility. Panellists will consider what it takes to align employees, leadership and communities around a shared responsibility for building more effective and sustainable municipalities. Moderator: Motalatale Modiba, Senior Manager: Media and Public Relations, SALGA Panelists: ● Lerato Phasha, Portfolio Head: Municipal Finance and Revenue Enhancement, SALGA ● Fikile Tshabangu, Senior Manager: Municipal Human Resource and OD Support, SALGA ● Nondumiso Twalo, Senior Manager: Community Development, SALGA 12:15 - 12:55
PANEL DISCUSSION|Building the Whole Employee Experience: Health, Belonging and Growth
Hosted by Employee experience extends far beyond the workplace, shaped by an individual’s health, personal responsibilities, sense of belonging and opportunities to grow. This interactive workshop explores how organisations can move away from fragmented wellbeing initiatives and create a more holistic employee experience that supports people across different life stages. Delegates will examine how health, psychological wellbeing, belonging and development reinforce one another and identify practical ways to build these elements into the everyday employee journey. Moderator: Elin Agodi, Founder & Director, The Human Element
Panelists: ● ● ● ●
Nomfundo Vilakazi, People & Culture Director, Dis-Chem Julia Pope, Chief Financial Officer, Dis-Chem Jessica Bates, Executive: Integrated Health, Dis-Chem Lizeth Kruger, Clinic Executive, Dis-Chem
13:00 - 14:00
LUNCH BREAK
14:00 - 14:10
Mindful Minute
Hosted By
Take a moment to pause, breathe and recharge with Virgin Active. This guided wellness session combines simple movement and mindful breathing techniques to help you reset your energy, refocus your mind and return refreshed for the afternoon programme.
14:10 - 14:45
PANEL DISCUSSION|The Connected Workforce: Equipping Every Employee for the Digital Workplace
Hosted by HR is going digital. Payslips, leave, training, onboarding, safety alerts and company news are moving to the phone, and AI tools are arriving fast. But a digital HR strategy only works if every employee can take part, including frontline, shift-based and remote staff, who often have the oldest devices, the least data, or no work device at all. This session shows HR leaders how to build a digital-ready workforce from the ground up. Samsung provides the hardware, Galaxy AI and Knox security. MyMobile connects every employee. Grocery Club shows what a connected employee gains in everyday life. Panelists: ● Michael Griffin, CEO, Pantry Club ● Zahir Cajee, MX Director : Product & Commercial, Samsung ● Satish Naidoo, CEO, MyMobile
14:45 - 15:05
CASE STUDY |Policy Versus Practice: Rethinking Disability Inclusion and Talent Retention
Hosted By When a specialised employee suddenly lost their sight due to a medical emergency, it challenged traditional approaches to disability, workplace accommodation and talent retention. Using this real-world case study as a starting point, this session explores how organisations can move beyond compliance to create workplaces where employees with disabilities are supported to grow, contribute and lead. Panelists will share practical insights on inclusive leadership, accessible workplace design and the organisational capabilities required to retain valuable talent. Panelists: ● Noziphiwo Matshoba, Manager: Organisation Effectiveness and Wellness, SALGA ● Sibusiso Metu, Procurement Officer, SALGA 15:05 - 15:35
PANEL DISCUSSION|Optimising Total Rewards: Designing Benefits That Reflect Employees' Real Needs Employees’ financial pressures, lifestyles and expectations are changing, making it increasingly important for organisations to ensure their benefits remain relevant and valuable. This workshop explores how HR leaders can assess their total rewards offering, identify gaps and design more responsive benefits that support financial wellbeing, health, different life stages and sustainable employee performance. Panelists: ● ● ● ●
Norma Mazibuko, Partner and Master Reward Specialist, Bowmans Ntombizone Feni, Group CEO, 21st Century Pavania Naidu, VP: Senior Reward Specialist Dr Keshia Mohamed-Padayachee, Executive Reward Strategist, Human Performance Systems & Governance Advisor
15:35 - 16:05
PANEL DISCUSSION |Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Entry-Level Jobs in South Africa South Africa cannot afford a future where technological progress comes at the expense of youth employment. Rather than asking whether AI will replace jobs, this session asks a more important question: how do we redesign work, graduate programmes and workforce strategies so that technology creates new pathways into employment? Discover how leading organisations are rethinking hiring, skills development and early-career talent to ensure the next generation is equipped to succeed in an AI-enabled economy. Panelists: ● Manini Molehe, Lead: Emerging Talent, Vodacom South Africa ● Nelo Spies, Executive Director, Junior Achievement South Africa ● Banele Mgwevu, Founder, ITSAGO AI
16:05 - 16:35
PANEL DISCUSSION|Creating Recruitment Experiences That Attract Top Talent The candidate experience has become a powerful differentiator in today's competitive talent market. Organisations that design thoughtful, transparent and engaging recruitment journeys are better positioned to strengthen their employer brand, build robust talent pipelines and attract high-quality candidates. This discussion explores how leading organisations are reimagining hiring processes to create positive candidate experiences that foster trust, enhance engagement and deliver long-term talent outcomes. Panelists: ● Penny Adams, Human Capital Executive, Primedia Out of Home ● Trinity Ncala, Managing Director, T&T Academy ● Corne Booysen, Managing Director, Trending Talent ● Nontobeko Mdhluli, Managing Director, Zanati Group
16:35 - 16:40
Moderators Closing Remarks & Refreshments
16:40 - 19:00
Networking Cocktail
DAY 2 | 15 October 2026
HR Without Boundaries: Connecting Capable People, Performance Enabling Technology and National Progress 08:00 - 09:00 09:00 – 09:10
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS MODERATOR’S WELCOME | Clement Manyathela, Award-Winning Radio and Television Broadcaster
09:10 - 09:20
SALGA ADDRESS |Pindiwe Gida, Chief Officer: Human Capital & Corporate Services, SALGA
09:35 - 10:15
PANEL DISCUSSION |Skills Can't Wait: Rethinking the Public-Private Partnership South Africa's future competitiveness depends on its ability to develop, deploy and retain talent. Addressing the skills challenge requires bold collaboration between government, business and education to align learning with industry needs, expand work-integrated learning and create sustainable pathways into employment. This panel explores how collective action can turn today's skills gap into tomorrow's economic opportunity. Panelists: ● Londiwe Mncube, Chief Human Resources Officer, Competition Commission South Africa ● Anton Visser, Group Chief Operating Officer, Alefbet Learning ● Thandeka Nkambule, Chief Transformation Officer, Sanlam ● Dr. Thobile Mhlongo, Director: Municipal Learning & Development, SALGA
10:55 - 11:10
Fast-Track Networking
11:10 - 11:40
RISE & GRIND | Coffee Break
11:40 - 12:20
PANEL DISCUSSION | Are We Preparing Leaders or Promoting High Performers? Too often, organisations reward exceptional individual performance with a leadership title but being a high performer doesn't automatically make someone a great leader. This session explores how organisations can move beyond traditional promotion models to build leadership pipelines based on potential, emotional intelligence, coaching capability and the ability to lead people through change. Learn practical insights into succession planning, leadership development and building leaders who inspire long-term organisational success. Panelists: ● Maseabo Mosia, Senior Manager: Organisational Development, Rand Mutual Assurance ● Kershini Govender, Programme Executive : COO's Office, Nedbank ● Patience Mushungwa, Divisional Executive: Human Capital, IDC ● Sam Locke, Chief People Officer, Glynt Group
12:20 - 13:00
PANEL DISCUSSION | The Governance Gap: Why Unstructured AI Adoption Is Undermining Trust and Productivity AI can improve the way work gets done but it needs to be supported by strong leadership, clear governance and intentional organisational design. Introducing AI tools without the right policies, skills and oversight can create confusion, inconsistent decision-making and unintended risks that undermine employee confidence and organisational performance. This discussion explores how to build governance frameworks that encourage responsible innovation, empower employees and ensure AI delivers meaningful value across the organisation. Panelists: ● Kume Luvhani, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Vaxowave ● Devaan Parbhoo, Director, CerebrAI Consulting ● Kally Mabe, DEIB Expert & Director, LGBT+ Management Forum (SAWEI) ● Umika Gopichund, Senior Manager: Corporate Services, SALGA
13:00 - 14:00
LUNCH BREAK
14:00 - 14:10
Mindful Minute
Take a moment to pause, breathe and recharge with Virgin Active. This guided Hosted By
wellness session combines simple movement and mindful breathing techniques to help you reset your energy, refocus your mind and return refreshed for the afternoon programme.
14:10 - 14:50
PANEL DISCUSSION | Leading People Through Continuous Change Without Losing Your Culture Continuous transformation has become the defining reality of today's workplace, with many organisations navigating technological advancements, restructuring, evolving employee expectations and economic uncertainty. The pace of change is impacting many employees as they experience change fatigue, burnout and growing uncertainty, placing organisational culture, trust and engagement under increasing pressure. This panel explores how HR leaders, executives and business leaders can lead transformation without losing the people who make it possible. Gain practical strategies for fostering a culture where employees feel informed, supported and empowered throughout periods of uncertainty. Moderator: Thato Mosikare, Founder & CEO, Nala Media Group Panellists: ● Amukelani Maphophe, People & Culture Director, bp Southern Africa (bpSA) ● Priya Govender, Founder & CEO, Nisoka Consultants ● Zandi Mathe-Nhleko, Behaviour Change Strategist ● Prof. Kwazi Majola, Associate Professor, University of Limpopo
14:50 - 15:05
FIRESIDE CHAT | The Compliance Tightrope: Employment Law, Enforcement and the Modern Employer South African employment law is changing fast, from the Labour Law Amendment Bill and the new BCEA earnings threshold to a higher national minimum wage and expanding harassment protections. Enforcement is tightening, and compliance risk is rising. This panel explores what these shifts mean in practice for HR leaders, and how organisations can move beyond reactive compliance to build employment law frameworks that protect both people and business.
Panellist: Yvonne Mkefa, Director: Employment Law, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc 15:05 - 15:15
Moderators Closing Remarks & Refreshments