The Risk of Misinformation and Disinformation in Decision-Making: A Risk Professional’s Perspective
Misinformation and disinformation pose serious risks to decision-making by distorting facts, undermining trust, and influencing strategic and operational outcomes. Risk professionals must identify, assess, and mitigate these threats through governance, verification protocols, digital literacy, and scenario planning, ensuring decisions remain credible, ethical, and resilient in an era of information disorder.
Resilience in a Fractured World: The Fundamentals of Geopolitical Resilience for Risk Professionals
Geopolitical resilience enables organisations to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from disruptions like conflicts, sanctions, or supply chain shocks. Key strategies include proactive risk assessment, scenario planning, diversification, and collaborative efforts. By integrating issues-led and impact-led approaches, leveraging technology, and fostering agility, businesses transform risks into opportunities, ensuring long-term competitiveness in a volatile world.
Dynamic digital capabilities and supply chain resilience: The role of government effectiveness
Organizations in recent times are increasingly investing in building supply chain resilience following disruptions due to natural disasters, geo-political crises, and pandemics. A lack of government support has exacerbated the disruption to supply chains in some regions of the world. The positive influence of digitalization on social inclusion, government accountability, and creating a more open environment is well understood. Despite this, different countries have shown varying degrees of digital responsiveness during the pandemic as they attempted to deal with the effects of various COVID strains.
Invisible Intruders: AI-Generated Scams and the Evolving Role of Risk Professionals
AI-driven fraud—especially through deepfakes and voice cloning—is reshaping the threat landscape for organisations and individuals in 2025. Fraudsters can now create highly realistic audio and video imitations using just seconds of publicly available recordings, enabling scams that bypass traditional security measures and exploit human trust. Voice-based phishing is now outpacing visual deepfakes, affecting everything from executive impersonation in corporate wire fraud to emotionally manipulative family scams. The technology’s accessibility allows even non-experts to launch sophisticated attacks, democratising fraud and scaling risks across sectors.
Detection technologies often lag behind the latest deepfake techniques, necessitating adaptive, multilayered defences and continuous staff training. Common red flags—urgency, unverified contact, and emotionally charged requests—are more challenging to spot amid such realism, making independent verification and a culture of scepticism essential. As financial and reputational risks mount, a robust risk management response combining technical controls, human vigilance, and regulatory awareness is crucial for protecting trust, identity, and organisational integrity.
THE STATE OF CYBER SECURITY 2025 – Top threats, emerging trends, and CISO recommendations
The 2025 State of Cyber Security report highlights key threats, including: The AI tactics that swayed a third of global elections through disinformation.
A 58% surge in infostealer attacks, focusing on corporate access.
Ransomware attacks shift from encryption to data exfiltration extortion, with Healthcare now the second most targeted.
Hybrid networks enabling lateral movement between on-premise and cloud.
Hardware and Software supply chains saw the highest attack surge attacks.
Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios 2035
The Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios 2035 explores three plausible futures for South Africa between 2024 and 2035, built from 26 high‑impact, high‑uncertainty variables and a refined social cohesion barometer. “Hadeda Home” imagines a fragile, compromise-driven democracy with sluggish reform; “Vulture Culture” depicts a populist, authoritarian, economically stagnant and crime‑ridden narco‑state; and “Weaver Work” portrays a cooperative nation with effective coalitions, green and inclusive growth, institutional renewal and social mobilisation. The scenarios aim to inform long‑term, evidence‑based planning and galvanise collective action across sectors.
Enhanced Combined Assurance Framework for South African Organisations – Example Only
This framework provides South African organisations with a comprehensive approach to implementing combined assurance aligned with King V Principle 12. Combined assurance integrates all assurance activities across the three lines model (operational management, risk/compliance oversight, and internal audit) plus external providers, eliminating fragmentation that typically results in 15-25% inadequate risk coverage and 10-15% duplication. The framework comprises six core components: integrated architecture, assurance mapping methodology, governance mechanisms, integrated planning, consolidated reporting, and quality assurance. Implementation follows a phased 12-24 month roadmap across foundation, integration, operationalisation and maturity phases. Research shows organisations with structured implementation achieve 30-40% better coordination, identify emerging themes 40-50% faster, and reduce 20-30% planning overlap. The framework positions combined assurance as a strategic governance capability that enhances board effectiveness, optimises assurance resources, and strengthens stakeholder confidence in organisational integrity.
Case Study: MTN Group’s Geopolitical Risk Management in Africa
MTN Group, a leading telecommunications company operating across Africa and the Middle East, faces a complex and dynamic geopolitical landscape that presents both challenges and opportunities for its business operations (MTN Group, 2023). As one of the largest mobile network operators in Africa, MTN must navigate a diverse range of political, economic, and social risks across its markets.
Case Study: Ecobank’s Cash Flow Management Strategy in Africa
Ecobank's innovative cash flow strategies, including its Omniplus platform, digital banking expansion, and sustainable finance initiatives, have transformed operations across 34 African nations. Achieving 100% business growth, $21 billion in transaction increases, and global recognition, the bank exemplifies resilience and sustainability in navigating Africa's diverse financial challenges.
The Risky Business of Being Human: Unravelling Our Relationship with Uncertainty
Risk perception is a complex dance of emotions, biases, and experiences. Shaped by dread, familiarity, and social influences, our judgments often defy logic. By understanding these psychological drivers, we can manage uncertainty more effectively, transforming fear into opportunity and making smarter decisions in our increasingly unpredictable world.