Designing for trust
In a world shaped by AI, automation, and rapid digital acceleration, trust needs to become a top priority for organisations across Africa.
Absa Experience Design Collab ‘26 explores how organisations can design systems that earn consumer trust — through transparency, integrity, and empathy. This year, we bring business and design together to unpack how trust fuels adoption, reduces risk, and drives long-term value.
Designing digital futures: Rethinking global tech for the African context
More than just design
This year, XDC expands beyond the design community to engage the people who shape strategy and organisational change.
As design matures across South Africa, the opportunity is no longer to up-skill designers — it’s to align business and design around a shared goal: building trusted, human‑centred systems that drive real commercial value.
XDC 2026 is where leaders across business, technology, and design come together to understand how trust unlocks adoption, strengthens loyalty, and fuels organisational growth.
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Join the circle of innovators
Whether you're here to learn, connect, or inspire new ideas, this is where bold thinking meets real impact. Come meet other curious minds, soak up insights, be part of the conversations shaping the future of design and end the day with conversation and good food.
2025 Speakers
Speaker reveal
Coming soon...
Speaker reveal
Coming soon...
Speaker reveal
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Keynote speaker
Inez Patel
Experience Design Director,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Donald Mokgale
Managing Director,
MoyaApp
Alfi Oloo
Founder,
The Ordinary Group
Zeenat Hassim
Interim CIO: Digital Technology,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Subash Sharma
Managing Executive: Digital,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Sivan Lapidus
Head of Design,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Kulani Emelda Hlungwane
Group Senior Manager:
Digital Experience, MTN
Rob Cowie
Senior Design Specialist,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Muano Karidza
Senior Product Development Specialist: Credit Card,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
Ayanda Mbonambi
Experience Design Lead,
Absa CIB
Jennifer Stuart
Principal Design Consultant,
Spot On Consulting
Jonelle Kuyler
Senior Manager: Customer Insights, Absa Personal and Private Banking
Yashoda Ram
Founder & CEO,
The Manifesto
Candice Bond
Product Manager: Customer Innovation, ShopriteX
Jade Willemse
Design Director,
Absa Africa Regional Operations
Hannah Gould
Experience Design Director,
Absa Personal and Private Banking
2026 Speakers
Watch this space for our 2026 speaker line-up
Speaker reveal
Coming soon...
Speaker reveal
Coming soon...
Speaker reveal
Coming soon...
