Vuyo Gwayi will speak at Data Expo on 15 and 16 September 2027 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Data Expo is the Netherlands’ leading data and AI event. It brings together data leaders, technologists and policymakers to discuss what it takes to build a genuinely data-driven organisation.
The session
Vuyo’s talk, “So your system passed the audit, why is it still a fraud risk?”, tackles a problem many boards haven’t considered. An AI system can pass every audit and still leave an organisation exposed to fraud. The risk doesn’t sit in the technology. It sits in how people make, trust and act on AI-assisted decisions.
Vuyo draws on real cases, including a $25 million deepfake incident and examples closer to home. She shows where this risk hides and gives attendees practical questions to catch it early, before the loss rather than after. The session runs as part of the Women @ Data Expo programme.
Why this matters for boards
Traditional governance frameworks assume humans make every decision. AI changes that. Decisions now happen faster, at greater scale, and with less direct human oversight than before. As a result, boards need new tools to track accountability.
Vuyo’s work sits at this intersection: governance, risk and technology. She holds professional certifications in the Governance of AI Systems, Commercial Forensic Information Technology, Fraud Risk Management, Data Privacy and Protection Auditing, and Public Sector Risk Management. In 2026, the W.O.W. Africa 50 Women Honour Circle recognised her contribution to responsible AI governance.
Governing Artificial Intelligence
Vuyo wrote Governing Artificial Intelligence for boards, executives, regulators and policymakers. The book guides readers through the shift from voluntary governance to formal regulation.
It bridges international standards with South Africa’s King V framework and statutory requirements. As a result, directors and auditors get a practical blueprint for managing digital risk. The book also brings a distinctly South African perspective to a global conversation, with particular attention to emerging economies shaping the future of AI governance rather than simply adopting models built elsewhere.
Beyond the boardroom
Away from her advisory work, Vuyo is a mother, a marathon runner and an avid tennis player. She is based in the Netherlands and works across European and African markets, helping organisations align regulatory obligations with practical, accountable AI governance.
Read the full speaker profile on the Data Expo website.
