The Nedbank Future of Business Conference is designed to arm Namibian business leaders with the critical strategies needed to succeed
in today’s dynamic market. It features a lineup of both Namibian and international speakers who explore future-focused topics essential for achieving sustained success.
2025 Speakers
Pavlo Phitidis is a passionate and animated speaker who uses dramatised storytelling from his 25+ years of experience working with hundreds of entrepreneurs to make his content resonate on a deeply human level. As co-founder of Aurik, a business accelerator, he helps owners transform ventures into “Assets of Value.” Pavlo is also the bestselling author of “Sweat Scale $ell” and “Reset, Rebuild, Reignite,” offering strategies for growth and resilience in any economic climate.
LinkedIn: Pavlo Phitidis
Tatiana Ndlovu is a seasoned marketing executive with over 18 years of experience across Africa. She’s an expert in marketing communication, brand management, customer experience, digital marketing, e-commerce, and data analytics. Tatiana has held leadership roles at Old Mutual, Nedbank, and Microsoft EMEA, working across diverse sectors like FMCG, banking, and telecoms. She is currently Executive Head of Marketing and Communications for Nedbank Africa.
LinkedIn: Tatiana Ndlovu
Vanessa Maresch is a seasoned digital empowerment strategist and a leading voice in Namibia at the intersection of technology, business, and human potential. As an Empowerment Specialist at Salt Essential IT, she helps organisations and individuals harness technology to thrive. Vanessa has been at the forefront of Namibia’s digital evolution, leading the nationwide remote work transition during the pandemic and driving cybersecurity awareness through an MOU with the Ministry of ICT.
LinkedIn: Vanessa Maresch
Lelanie Basson, co-founder of Trending Career Hub (TCH), is a strategic management consultant focusing on workforce development and strategic planning across Africa. With over 20 years of experience in public sector reform, corporate governance, and digital transformation, she advises organisations on building agile, future-ready institutions by aligning human capital with emerging technologies. Lelanie is Namibia’s official Ambassador for Women in AI and supported the launch of Africa’s first Bloomberg Finance Lab.
LinkedIn: Lelanie Basson
Jason Quinn is the Chief Executive of Nedbank Group. Previously, he was Absa Group Limited’s Interim Group Chief Executive and Group Financial Director, and a Partner at EY. A CA (SA), he led Absa’s $1 billion Barclays separation and the creation of South Africa’s largest black-owned asset manager. As Interim Absa CEO, he delivered record earnings and focused on ESG. He’s a past CFO Forum of SAICA Chairperson and was named CFO of the Year in 2020.
LinkedIn: Jason Quinn
Elzanne McCulloch, born in independent Namibia, feels a deep connection to its landscapes and stories. As MD of Venture Media, she passionately uses words, film, and photography to capture and share Namibia’s essence. She believes storytelling shapes our perception of ourselves, communities, and the future, forming the foundation for brands, businesses, and nations.
LinkedIn: Elzanne McCulloch
Since 2008, Cornelius transformed Vision Africa from a small Namibian and Angolan operation into a regionally recognised research agency. He expanded services across Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. He’s credited with building a passionate, results-driven team at Vision Africa, focused on developing innovative survey-based research products for the dynamic African market.
LinkedIn: Cornelius D’Alton
Mia de Klerk is a marketing communications specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting local and multinational brands across corporate, government, and NGOs. With a Master’s in Marketing Communications and training in law, digital communication, and prompt engineering, she’s known for clear thinking, strategic storytelling, and results-driven execution. Her work focuses on leveraging communication to connect people, ideas, and purpose, transforming complex challenges into clear, audience-focused solutions.
LinkedIn: Mia de Klerk
Debbie Rowles, founder of Think Human Being, is a purpose-led strategist and facilitator with over two decades of experience. She embeds humanity, purpose, and clarity into organisations. Debbie helps leading brands align internal values with external presence, simplifying complexity, and cultivating thriving cultures where strategy comes alive. She believes the future belongs to businesses that are purposeful, conscious, and deeply human.
LinkedIn: Debbie Rowles
Cobus Visagie
Cobus is the Group Chief Executive Officer and co-founded Africa Merchant Capital in 2012. Before founding AMC, he served as Principal for Africa at Templewood Merchant Bank. His professional experience includes corporate finance advisory, merchant banking, business consulting and auditing, as well as personal investing in Africa.
Fenni Nghikevali
Fenni Nghikevali, Co-Founder of Nauyevali Business Consulting, is a value-driven leadership advocate and mentor. With 15 years of diverse experience, she is a registered CA, and a PAAB Registered Accountant and Auditor known for her commitment to transformation and empowering young professionals and women.
Pavlo Phitidis
Pavlo is a passionate and animated speaker who uses dramatised storytelling from his 25+ years of experience working with hundreds of entrepreneurs. The Co-founder of Aurik, a business accelerator, he helps owners transform ventures into “Assets of Value.”
Axel Theissen
Axel Theissen is a respected figure in Namibian business and an accomplished adventurer. He was appointed MD of the Cymot Group at age 32, expanding the company across Namibia, Angola, and South Africa. Now Group Chairperson, he also project manages the CYMOT Hilltop landmark. A past president of the Namibian Cycling Federation, his athletic feats include climbing Kilimanjaro and completing the Freedom Swim.
Selma Kaulinge
Selma Kaulinge is a communications professional excelling in PR strategies and compelling narratives. With expertise in corporate communications, social media, and creative writing, she’s honed her skills at top organisations. Currently, she’s Manager: Communications & PR at Nedbank Namibia and a Board Member of the Namibian Arts Association.
Patrick Sam
A leading creative and public policy expert, Patrick Sam is currently the National Expert on the Namibia Cultural & Creative Industry Strategy. He shares his knowledge lecturing on Scriptwriting for Children’s Television at NUST, and through Creative Culture Investments, he actively works to elevate Namibia’s cultural capital on the global stage. Patrick’s prior leadership includes chairing the National Arts Council of Namibia and the African Chapter of IFACCA.
Elzanne McCulloch
Elzanne heads Venture Media, a leading Namibian content creation and marketing studio specialising in tourism, conservation, and industry. Their work spans print, digital, social, and video platforms, focusing on authentic, purposeful narratives that build connection, trust, and understanding, ultimately fostering stronger businesses, communities, and society.
Mufaro Nesongano
Mufaro Nesongano is the Executive: Communication and Consumer Relations at CRAN. With a proven track record in strategic communication, Mufaro previously boosted local tourism through impactful campaigns at the Namibia Business Innovation Centre and Namibia Wildlife Resorts. His leadership at the Old Mutual Foundation also saw the OM SEED programme win the prestigious 2023 CSI of the Year award.
Mia de Klerk
Mia de Klerk is a marketing communications specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting local and multinational brands across corporate, government, and NGOs. With a Master’s in Marketing Communications and training in law, digital communication, and prompt engineering, she’s known for clear thinking, strategic storytelling, and results-driven execution. Her work focuses on leveraging communication to connect people, ideas, and purpose, transforming complex challenges into clear, audience-focused solutions.
Adri Erwee
As Manager: Talent and Organisational Development at Ohlthaver & List Group, Adri Erwee is a Human Capital expert. She plays a vital role in shaping and implementing critical strategies across the group, specialising in areas like job evaluation, policy alignment, and cultivating a thriving workplace culture, as demonstrated by her work on the Great Place to Work programme.
Sabrina Jacobs-Hailombe
Sabrina Jacobs-Hailombe is a Human Capital and Organisational Development Specialist with extensive leadership experience in Oil & Gas, Retail, Wholesale, and Hospitality. She serves as NHP Board of Trustees Chairperson and Independent Trustee at Benchmark Retirement Fund. Her expertise covers the entire HR value chain, from organisational design to employee engagement
Ngajozikue Kavikairiua
Ngajozikue Kavikairiua is the Recruitment Manager at Africa Personnel Services (APS), where he has held various leadership roles, including Operations Officer and Branch Manager. Beyond his corporate leadership, Ngajozikue is a passionate mental health activist for men, dedicated to empowering the boy child and nurturing future leaders through his public and motivational speaking.
Debbie Rowles
Debbie Rowles, founder of Think Human Being, is a purpose-led strategist and facilitator dedicated to embedding humanity, purpose, and clarity into the core of organisations. With over two decades of experience spanning corporate and creative sectors, she offers deep strategic thinking and human insight. Debbie helps leading brands align their internal values with their external presence, focusing on unlocking human potential by simplifying complexity and cultivating thriving cultures where strategy comes alive.
Nrupesh Soni (IT/Salt)
Nrupesh is a Namibian-based tech entrepreneur, digital strategist, and cybersecurity specialist. As the founder of Facilit8 Namibia, he has led digital transformation initiatives for both private enterprises and public institutions, helping them harness technology to drive impact, resilience, and growth.
Vanessa Maresch
Vanessa is a seasoned digital empowerment strategist and a leading voice in Namibia at the intersection of technology, business, and human potential.
Stantin Siebritz (IT/Salt)
Stantin is a seasoned Namibian technologist, entrepreneur, and educator with over two decades of experience in software development, AI, and digital innovation. He founded New Creation Solutions, leading projects in AI, big data, AR/VR, and mobile/web development.
Victor Ashikoto
Victor is Nedbank’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), bringing almost two decades of experience in senior ICT roles. He has worked across the banking, telecommunications, transport, and energy sectors. His focus is on enhancing customer experience and embracing the rise of fintech.
Sonja Coetzer
Sonja Coetzer is a Managing Director at Salt Essential IT and an innovative leader dedicated to spearheading digital transformation in Namibia. Her motto is “Live life truly.” She is passionate about empowering her team and is inspired daily by the collective brilliance at Salt. What she loves most about her job is witnessing diverse talents and perspectives coming together to tackle challenges and drive the company’s vision forward.
Grace Katjivena
Grace Katjivena is an Empowerment Specialist, Support & Content Creator driven by the personal motto, “Work for a cause, not for applause.” She loves working at Salt because the company truly values and solicits employee input. Her favourite part of the job is shaping meaningful narratives that highlight the value of the ICT industry and using strategic communication to understand and nurture audience engagement.
Partners
Conference Presentations
Click the link below to view the presentations from our amazing speakers!
Contact us
Rukee Kaakunga | Project Coordinator
Tel: 083 000 100
Email: rukee@futuremedia.com.na
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