DPPC27 Speaker Spotlight - Dr. Nomalanga Mashinini to Address SADC’s Regulatory Gaps in Synthetic Media, Identity and Data

As digital technologies continue to evolve, the regulatory challenges surrounding personal data, digital identity and synthetic media are becoming increasingly complex. For countries across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the question is no longer simply how to protect personal information, but how to develop regulatory frameworks that can keep pace with emerging technologies and the risks they introduce.

We are pleased to spotlight Dr. Nomalanga Mashinini, Project Leader at Wits Image Rights Engagement (WiRE), who joins the speaker faculty for the 2nd Annual Data Privacy & Protection Conference (DPPC27).

Based at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Law in Johannesburg, WiRE is a specialised legal research and advocacy initiative founded and led by Dr. Mashinini, who is also a Senior Lecturer in Cyber Law. The initiative explores the intersection of personal identity, artificial intelligence and digital media, with a focus on the legal and regulatory challenges emerging from an increasingly digital society.

Dr. Mashinini will bring these perspectives to the conference through her keynote address, “Beyond Harmonisation: Closing SADC’s Regulatory Gaps on Synthetic Media, Identity and Data.”

Taking place on 27–28 January 2027 at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, South Africa, DPPC27 will bring together data protection professionals, regulators, legal practitioners, technology leaders and industry experts to examine the evolving challenges shaping data privacy and protection.

While regulatory harmonisation remains an important objective for strengthening data protection across the region, significant gaps remain in how emerging digital risks are addressed.

The growing use of synthetic media, including AI-generated content and manipulated digital representations, raises important questions around identity protection, consent, authenticity and accountability. These developments also place greater pressure on existing data protection laws and regulatory institutions to respond to risks that increasingly cross-national borders.

Dr. Mashinini's keynote will explore the regulatory gaps facing the SADC region, examining the need to move beyond harmonisation towards more responsive and effective approaches to governing synthetic media, digital identity and personal data.

As organisations, governments and institutions accelerate their adoption of digital technologies, ensuring that regulatory frameworks remain relevant and effective is becoming increasingly important.

The conversation will also provide an opportunity to consider how regional cooperation and stronger regulatory alignment can contribute to a more consistent approach to data protection across SADC.

Join the Conversation at DPPC27

Dr. Mashinini's keynote forms part of a broader programme bringing together regulators, legal practitioners, compliance specialists, technology leaders and data protection professionals to examine some of the most pressing developments shaping the privacy and data protection landscape.

The two-day conference will provide a platform for knowledge-sharing, industry perspectives and meaningful discussions on the future of data privacy and protection.

Be part of the conversation.

Register to attend: https://umbonosa.co.za/data-privacy-protection-conference-registration/