Rob Downes

Jo-Ann Strachan is Head of Salesforce Platform & Digital Assets at Absa Group in Johannesburg, with expertise in digital transformation and platform management.

Nkahiseng Ralepeli is VP of Product: Digital Assets – Tokenisation & Stablecoins (CIB) at Absa Group, a position he has held since July 2023. In this role, he leads product development, strategy, and execution across two workstreams: tokenisation of real-world assets and stablecoin product development. His stated focus is on bridging traditional payment rails — including SWIFT, RTP, ACH, RTGS, and card schemes — with blockchain rails across both permissioned and permissionless chains, with application across FX markets, trade finance, and domestic and international payments. Absa's stablecoin offering targets Corporate and Investment Banking clients, with services including treasury management and cross-border payments facilitation.

Prior to Absa, Ralepeli worked across startups operating in payments using emerging technology, with exposure spanning EMEA and the US. He also sits on the board of the Cloud Security Alliance (South Africa) as Director of Research, covering cloud security, infrastructure, and AI applications. He writes on product management, blockchain, and AI across platforms including Finextra, Ledger Insights, and FintechAO. He holds a Master's in Public Policy and a Master's in Law (BCL) from the University of Oxford, an LLB and a Diploma in International Arbitration from the University of the Free State, and has completed the International Executive Development Programme at the UCT Graduate School of Business. He is a Chartered Digital Asset Analyst (CDAA), a certified Authorised Representative and Key Individual, and a Rhodes Scholar. Additional awards include the Abe Bailey Bursary, Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans, Jim Leech Mastercard Fellowship, and E4E Blockchain Fellowship.