Thabang Phala is the Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO) of CyberM8 and a dedicated leader in the ICT sector with a passion for youth development and cybersecurity. With over 12 years of experience, he has been at the forefront of designing impactful cybersecurity training programmes and awareness campaigns, equipping individuals and organisations with the tools to thrive in the digital age. Thabang’s commitment to innovation and empowerment has established him as a recognised thought leader, making significant contributions to both the ICT industry and community development initiatives.
Adv Nandipha Ntsaluba is an accomplished Educationist and legal expert in Vocational and Higher Education and training, Regulation of Private Education Provision in South Africa, IP, defence, cybersecurity, and data privacy policy. She is an admitted legal practitioner who currently lectures in the Department of Mercantile Law at the University of South Africa (UNISA). She is currently teaching subjects in IP, corporate law, and ICT/cyber law and is also involved in the institutionalization of the UNISA’s Catalytic Niche Areas within Maritime, Aviation, and Aeronautical Studies, Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolution, and digitalization. She is also involved in the recirculation of military law programmes within UNISA. She is a member of the UNISAResearch Ethics Committee and participates in the AI Task Team and Global Skills Development Programme on GenAI. She holds at least fifteen (15 ) academic qualifications spanning business, law, Science and education, including four master’s degrees, namely, an MBL from the UNISA School of Business Leadership, an MEd in systems design and comparative Education from UFS, and two LLMs in IP, Cyber, and Extractive Industries Law from the University of Pretoria. In 2025, she acquired the WTO /Havard Law School Certificate on Patent Law and Global Public Health “PatentX’’. She has presented at domestic and international Webinars and Conferences on Data Adequacy and data Privacy, cybersecurity, IP implications of MV Memorialisation and Honoring and AI legislative posture as well as lawful processing of data during drone deployments, fit for purpose resource strategic budgeting as well as developments within the Public Procurement legislative trajectory ”dealing with tension in the text”. Throughout her long and illustrious career, Adv Ntsaluba has accrued an impressive array of achievements, including establishing the Department of Military Veterans, leading the SANDF’s parliamentary engagement team on the Cybersecurity and Cybercrimes Bill, and participating in developing various legislation, including the development of the Public Procurement Act 2024 and the ensuing delegated legislation. She has served various roles in international and domestic professional and policy bodies including ICANN, ZAIGF, and AIPLTIL, among others. She is a 2023 AFiCTA Africa Community Development Award Winner within ICT, cybersecurity and domain name discourse. A the head of the logistic Committee of the CLAW Digital Technology Conference 2026 , a ground breaking multidisciplinary cross sectoral transnational conference was delivered
Chartered Accountant (SA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA, CMA), and finance executive with over 21 years of experience in financial reporting, governance, and project finance. Holding both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, she has held senior finance leadership roles across the energy, engineering, and infrastructure sectors. As financial professional, she provides strategic leadership in statutory reporting, financial governance, and compliance. Nokuthula is passionate about strengthening financial stewardship, developing high-performing teams, and advancing sustainable business practices through sound governance, innovation, and ethical leadership.
Dr. Xolile Sibande is a cybersecurity executive, advisor, researcher, mentor, and philanthropist with experience across the public and private sectors. She has led information security, cyber risk, governance, and digital resilience initiatives across multiple industries, helping organisations strengthen resilience, enable digital transformation, and align security with business strategy.
She holds a PhD in Management and a Master of Commerce in Information Systems from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). She is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and holds several international
certifications in cybersecurity, governance, and technology.
Beyond her professional career, Dr. Sibande is passionate about mentoring emerging professionals, advising organisations on cybersecurity and governance, and giving back through community and professional initiatives. She is committed to advancing the cybersecurity profession by fostering collaboration, developing future leaders, and creating meaningful impact within the industry and society.