ABTA Partner Event | ABSA COMMERCIAL TRAVEL PAYMENTS SUMMIT | Cape Town, South Africa | 10 September 2026
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ABOUT THIS EVENT
ABSA COMMERCIAL TRAVEL PAYMENTS SUMMIT
From Friction to Flow: Building a smarter travel payments ecosystem
*BY INVITATION ONLY*
Join leading Corporate Travel stakeholders, Travel Buyers, TMC’s, financial institutions and supplier partners for a focused half-day session,
exploring the future of travel payments.
As payment technology evolves, organisations are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, strengthen controls, reduce traveller and supplier friction,
and unlock greater visibility across the travel ecosystem.
This session brings together industry experts to examine the challenges that remain — and the practical solutions already making a difference.
| PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY |
Thursday 10 September 2026
08.30 – 14.00
The Westin Cape Town
EVENT OVERVIEW
The corporate travel payments landscape is evolving rapidly. From virtual cards and lodge accounts to automation, reconciliation and supplier acceptance, organisations have more payment options available than ever before. Yet many Travel Buyers, TMC’s and Suppliers continue to face operational challenges that create friction, increase costs and impact the traveller experience.
Over the past year, Absa and ABTA have worked closely with Travel Buyers, TMC’s, Hotels and Industry associations to better understand these challenges – and, more importantly, how they can be improved.
This year’s summit will move beyond identifying problems to exploring practical solutions. Join us as we examine emerging payment trends, share research findings, showcase industry best practices and discuss how greater collaboration between buyers, suppliers, banks and travel partners can help create a more efficient, secure and seamless payment ecosystem.
Whether your focus is traveller experience, supplier relationships, reconciliation, policy compliance, fraud prevention or payment automation, this event will provide valuable insights into the future of managed travel payments.
Topics and sessions include:
- Behind the Payment: How Banks and Card schemes work together
- Virtual Payment Evolution: Growth, challenges, acceptance and newest developments
- Travel Payment Leakage: Identifying top areas of concern and possible solutions
- Better Reconciliation = Better data-driven decisions
- Car Rental Payments: Lodge, Virtual and the Card Not Present shift
- CFO Discussion: Top Payment challenges keeping finance professionals awake at night
- Public Sector Payments: Different rules, different challenges?
- Virtual payments: Bigger than a Virtual Card number
- Mastercard Macro 360 – Macro spending trends and what they mean for consumers and corporates
- Global and Regional Payment trends to watch
Speakers, Panellists and Discussion Leaders Include:
Bevan Losper, Commercial Issuing Cape Region – Absa
David Breetzke, Executive: Commercial Payments Strategy – Absa
Jayesh Ravjee, Senior Manager: B2B Lead Acquisitions – Absa
Karen Jansen, Senior Product Leader / Commercial Payment Solutions & Cards – Absa
Kgotso Ndaba, National Sales Lead (Absa/Mastercard) B2B, B2C, B2G
Khatija Haque, Chief Economist, EEMEA – Mastercard Economics Institute
Leanne Nel, Financial Director – XL Millenium Travel
Min Smith, Director: Business Development Commercial Payments – Mastercard
Nadine Clarke, Regional Director: Africa – African Business Travel Association
Nomvula Ngxesha, BB | Travel & Entertainment Senior Manager – Absa
Sarah-Jane Walther, Head of Procurement Enablement – Foschini Retail Group
Sherry Marks, Travel Manager – NinetyOne
Simon Tsiri, National Sales Head: Commercial Issuing | Relationship Banking Product – Absa
HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Attendance to this event is by invitation only, and is complimentary.
SUMMIT AGENDA
Draft Agenda
Check back in mid August for Agenda updates
| 08.15 – 09.00 | Welcome Desk Opens Delegate arrival and networking Tea, Coffee & Pastries served |
| 09.00 – 09.15 | Opening and Welcome |
| 09.15 – 10.00 | Panel Discussion |
| 10.00 – 10.45 | Interactive Discussion and Q&A |
| 10.45 – 11.15 | Tea Break |
| 11.15 – 12.15 | Round Table Session |
| 12.15 – 13.15 | Interactive Discussion and Q&A |
| 13.15 – 13.30 | Close and Thanks |
| 13.30 – 14.15 | Networking Lunch |
HOW TO BOOK YOUR SEAT
Enter the number of seats you would like to book in the white box at the top of the page and click ‘Next step’ to begin the booking process.
Complete your contact details, delegate details and payment information if required.
Once you have completed the booking process an automated email will be sent to confirm your booking.
Closer to the event, a personalised email with venue details and event reminders will be sent to the email address you provided. Please ensure you keep a look out for this mail, including in your spam folders.
Any trouble? Email carol-ann@abta.co.za
BECOME AN ABTA MEMBER
ABTA runs a Hosted Buyer membership program. This means that ALL Travel Buyers (those responsible for booking, managing or buying staff travel for their organisations) get to sign up at no charge.
In addition, they get to attend webinars and in-person events at no charge too. (Excluding ABTA’s Annual Conference).
Sound good? CLICK HERE for more information and to sign up easily on-line, clicking ‘Apply Now’ on the ‘Buyers Only’ membership category.
Event Details
Date: 10 September 2026
Start time: 08:30 SAST
End time: 14:00 SAST
Directions: The Westin Cape Town