About me

I have over eight years of experience in financial regulation and supervision, and I currently work as a Senior Fintech Specialist at FSCA South Africa, the market conduct regulator of the financial services sector in South Africa. My role involves monitoring and analyzing emerging products, business models, and technologies in the industry, and ensuring compliance with the relevant laws and standards.

My passion is to advance financial inclusion, innovation, and stability in the region, and I have contributed to several research and policy initiatives in this field. For instance, I was the first Project Manager of the CBE Intelligence Hub at the Central Bank of Eswatini, where I defined the strategy and guidelines for the Fintech Unit and the Regulatory Sandbox in 2018. I have also been named among the 60 African Women Experts in Fintech by Africa Shapers 2022. In addition, I have developed and sharpened my skills in anti-money laundering compliance, digital identity, cybersecurity, data privacy and protection, data management, relationship management, leadership, and technical proposal writing. I am also a Class Teacher for several online Economics courses at 2U, where I plan and host bi-weekly teaching calls and engage with students on the online campus.

Publications

  1. Hlophe, N. (2024), Artificial Intelligence in the Financial Sector and Emerging Consumer Protection Concerns, Financial Sector Conduct Authority.
  2. Hlophe, N. (2024), Decentralised Finance Presentation and Panel Discussion, Financial Sector Conduct Authority.
  3. Hlophe, N. and Sabilika, K. (2024), The Nexus Between Generative AI and Open Finance: The Next Frontier in Financial Innovation, Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group.
  4. Hlophe, N. (2023), Medium Publications.
  5. Hlophe, N. (2022) I am not Data. How can Low-and-Middle Income Economies Develop Effective Data Privacy and Protection Laws in the Digital Age?, Digital Banker Africa.
  6. Hlophe, N. (2022) Big Data Analytics Workshop 2022 – Summary | Résumé, Digital Frontiers Institute.
  7. Hlophe, N. (2022) Blockchain and the future of finance, Digital Frontiers Institute.
  8. Hlophe, N. (2021) Capacity Building for the Central Bank Digital Currency Journey in Emerging Market and Developing Economies, Central Bank Payments News.
  9. Hlophe, N. (2021) Summary of CBDC Workshop | Emerging Market and Developing Economies, Digital Frontiers Institute.
  10. Hlophe, N. (2021) A Framework for Effective Supervision for Inclusive DFS, Digital Frontiers Institute.
  11. Hlophe, N. (2021) Is Capacity Building a Necessary Requirement for Enhanced and Forward-Looking Regulatory Change?, Digital Banker Africa.
  12. Hlophe, N. (2021) Regulatory Influence: The Imperative for Sustainability Through Innovation in Emerging Markets, RegTech Africa.
  13. Cenfri & Central Bank of Eswatini (2020) Eswatini CBDC Diagnostic Study: Phase 1 findings, Cenfri & Central Bank of Eswatini.
  14. Cooper, B.; Perez, L.; Esser, A.; Hlophe, N.; Ferreira, M.; Janse van Vuuren, P. (2019) Diagnostic study of the Zambian payments system, Cenfri.
  15. Cooper, B.; Perez, L.; Esser, A.; Allen, M.; Hlophe, N.; Ferreira, M. (2019) An analysis of ID proxy initiatives across the globe, Cenfri.
  16. Hlophe, N. (2019) RegTech: how it works, its applications and how it benefits regulators, Central Bank of Eswatini.
  17. Hlophe, N. (2018) Does financial development mean financial inclusion?, African Review of Economics and Finance, 10(2), pp. 120-133.