Standard Bank Namibia will host its second annual Anti-Financial Crime Conference on Thursday, 14 August 2025, focusing on the rising complexity of financial crime in the digital era.
The event, themed “Combating Financial Crime in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Geopolitical Unrest”, will bring together regulators, financial institutions and global experts.
Roxzaan Witbooi, Head of Compliance at Standard Bank Namibia, said AI is reshaping both crime and compliance. “AI is not just a tool; it is a turning point. Criminal networks are using machine learning to automate fraud, manipulate data, and exploit vulnerabilities at scale. But AI also offers us unprecedented capabilities to detect anomalies, predict risks, and strengthen compliance. The challenge is to stay ahead, ethically and intelligently,” she said.
The conference comes as Namibia works to address 72 recommended actions from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after being placed on its grey list in early 2024.
Keynote speaker Professor Thuli Madonsela, Director of the Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University and former South African Public Protector, will address “Strengthening Financial Cybercrime Guardrails in the Age of AI.” Witbooi called her “a moral compass in a time of disruption” and said: “She reminds us that technology must be guided by values, and that leadership rooted in integrity is our strongest defence.”
Other speakers include ICT Minister Emma Theofelus, Financial Intelligence Centre Director Dr Bryan Eiseb, NamRA Commissioner Sam Shivute, Bank of Namibia Deputy Governor Leonie Dunn, and Deloitte Country Partner Melanie Harrison.
“The conference will convene financial institutions, regulators, policymakers, and technology leaders—each facing a shared challenge and a shared responsibility… Above all, it is a space for learning, collaboration, and decisive action toward a safer financial ecosystem,” Witbooi said.
Sponsors for the event are MobiPay, Ekwando Consulting and MTC. All proceeds will go to Standard Bank’s Buy-a-Brick initiative, which funds affordable housing for vulnerable communities.
