CEM & Converge Africa bring CX and digital commerce leaders together in Sandton

CEM Johannesburg Edition returns to the NH Hotel in Sandton on 10–11 November 2026, alongside Converge Africa Johannesburg on 10 November, creating a concentrated meeting point for leaders shaping customer experience and digital commerce across Africa.

Across the combined programme, delegates will move between practical workshops, peer-led panels, curated networking and business matchmaking focused on the issues now influencing customer and commercial performance: AI and automation, trust, behavioural insight, journey design, retail media, unified commerce, fulfilment, loyalty, retention and measurable business outcomes.

The co-location gives attendees access to two complementary communities. CEM Johannesburg Edition focuses on customer experience strategy, service, technology and transformation, while Converge Africa Johannesburg brings a sharper retail and digital commerce lens to how customers discover, buy, receive, return and remain loyal.

Programme highlights:

The Trust Problem: Can Customers Trust an Experience They Can’t See?
Designing for How Customers Feel
Authenticity in AI: From Conversation to Completion Without Losing the Human Touch
The Customer Doesn’t See Your Org Chart: Why Marketing & CX Must Collaborate
From Contact Centre to Experience Centre: The Human + AI Workforce
Retail Is Being Rewritten: The New Rules of How Consumers Discover, Shop & Belong
Retail Media: Turning Customer Attention Into a New Revenue Stream
Unified Commerce: One Customer, One Stock Pool, One Connected Experience
Black Friday From Discovery to Doorstep: Can Retail Deliver on the Customer Promise?
AI That Actually Works: From Retail Hype to Measurable Results
Loyalty, Retention & the Post-Purchase Experience: From Transaction to Lifetime Value

Day two of CEM Johannesburg Edition continues the discussion with sessions examining how Africa’s best brands turn CX into trust, loyalty and growth, the changing future customer, experience intelligence, and how WhatsApp can move beyond conversation to completed customer outcomes.

Confirmed voices from across CX, retail and digital commerce

The programme brings together senior practitioners, consultants and technology leaders from across the customer and commerce ecosystem. Confirmed speakers and workshop leaders include:

Gedeon Rossouw – Head of Client Care (Principal/Director), Absa
Tatiana Ndlovu – Executive Head: Marketing, Nedbank Africa Regions
Julia Ahlfeldt – Customer Experience Strategist and Business Advisor, Julia Ahlfeldt CX
Debi Potgieter – CEO & Founder, XMwize Solutions
Joven Pillay – EMEA Customer Consulting Leader, KPMG South Africa
Christopher Baird – Head of Ecommerce (Southern Hemisphere), G-STAR
Adrian Naidoo – Senior HOD: Commercial, Retail Media, Data & Innovation, Boxer Superstores
Keanu Batista – Head of E-Commerce South Africa, Pernod Ricard
Kieara Hyman – Head of Commerce & Retail, Publicis
Kerry Ho-Van Rensburg – Head of Digital Marketing Operations, Pick n Pay
Nneka Keshi – Country Director & Africa Lead, Canva
Yudhvir Ranchod – Marketing Director, Peach Payments
Prathna Singh – Global Retail and South Africa Lead, Intent HQ

Sponsors and programme partners

CEM Johannesburg Edition sponsors:

Gold sponsors 1Stream, Cisco, KPMG and Microsoft
Silver sponsors Clickatell, QuestionPro, NPLUS, SingleInterface and Zoom
Innovation Sponsor XMwize Solutions
CX Report Sponsor Rogerwilco
Workshop Sponsor Smoke

Converge Africa Johannesburg programme partners: The Courier Guy features as a Diamond Sponsor and workshop partner, with DigiCommerce and Instore24 leading dedicated programme sessions focused on unified commerce and converting digital discovery into measurable in-store growth.

CEM Africa Awards to recognise Africa’s CX leaders

The CEM Africa Awards will take place on the evening of 10 November 2026 at the NH Hotel, Sandton. The 2026 awards programme has attracted 97 entries and 31 finalists, with eight awards spanning four pillars of customer excellence: People, Innovation, Transformation and Government.

Award categories include: CX Leader of the Year; Breaking Barriers in CX; Rising Star in CX; Best Overall CX Solution; Best Use of AI; Best Enterprise Contact Centre Platform; Best Customer Experience Team of the Year; Best Digital Transformation in Public Services; and Best Citizen Experience Initiative.

Among the 2026 finalists publicly announced are Rowland Ndegwa of Jubilee Insurance in the Rising Star in CX category, while LAW FOR ALL, MTN Nigeria, Equity Holdings Group and Clientèle are among the finalists for Best Customer Experience Team of the Year.

“Johannesburg brings together two communities that increasingly need to solve the same customer problem from different angles. CEM Johannesburg Edition looks at the experience, service and transformation agenda, while Converge Africa examines the commercial and operational realities of modern retail and ecommerce. Together, the programmes give senior leaders practical insight they can take back into the business.”

Terry Southam - Director Retail Portfolio

Event information

CEM Johannesburg Edition: 10–11 November 2026 | NH Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg — View details / book (https://apo-opa.co/48Jo1UK)

CEM Johannesburg Edition live programme: View the full agenda — View details / book (https://apo-opa.co/4ix4v3N)

Converge Africa Johannesburg: 10 November 2026 | NH Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg — View details / book (https://apo-opa.co/4j6LLrS)

CEM Africa Awards: 10 November 2026 | NH Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg — View details / book (https://apo-opa.co/4zdIJqO)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Media contact:
Name: Steven Dennett
Title: Marketing Manager
Email: Steven.dennett@wearevuka.com
Mobile: 067 604 70 72

For interview requests, speaker access, event information or supporting assets, please contact the media representative above.

About CEM Africa:
CEM Africa is Africa’s leading customer experience summit and a platform for the people and organisations shaping the future of customer engagement across the continent. Through its flagship Cape Town summit, the CEM Africa Awards and regional Editions, the brand connects senior leaders, practitioners, technology providers and innovators around practical insight, collaboration and measurable business value.

About Converge Africa:
Converge Africa connects Africa’s digital commerce ecosystem across retail and ecommerce, payments and fintech, digital marketing, fulfilment, technology and customer experience. The Johannesburg programme is designed as a practical working day for senior retail and digital commerce leaders.