In a decisive move to strengthen governance, accountability, and institutional performance, the University of Venda (UNIVEN) convened a high-level Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) Workshop on 17 April 2026 at the Protea Hotel Fire and Ice in Pretoria. Bringing together members of the Audit Committee, Executive Management Committee, and Senior Management Committee, the workshop marked a critical step in aligning the University’s internal audit function with evolving global standards and best practices. The initiative was informed by a recent gap analysis, which highlighted the need to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of their roles in governance and internal auditing, and to enhance the institution’s readiness to implement the new standards effectively.
Ms Zanele Nkosi, Chairperson of the Audit Committee, highlighted, in her opening remarks, the transformation of internal audit into a strategic partner, essential to the University’s sustain-ability and value creation. She emphasised the need for a proactive, solution-driven approach that anticipates risks and external challenges and shapes the institutional environment. She noted that strengthening this role depends on collective support, collaboration, and a shared understanding among leadership and governance structures. She commended strong work-shop participation, alignment with global audit standards, and active contribution to internal audit surveys to drive continuous improvement and enhance the function’s strategic impact.
Facilitated by internal audit expert, Mr Marthin Grobler, the workshop unpacked the strategic importance of internal auditing as a cornerstone of good governance, emphasising its role not merely as a compliance function, but as a vital partner in enabling the University to create, protect, and sustain value. Participants engaged with critical concepts such as the Three Lines Model and combined assurance, exploring how gaps, overlaps, and blurred responsibilities can weaken oversight and dilute accountability. The sessions challenged leaders to reflect can-didly on whether their systems deliver genuine assurance or simply the comfort of reporting, reinforcing the need for coordinated, risk-based assurance that drives informed decision-mak-ing and organisational resilience.
Central to the discussions was the introduction of the Global Internal Audit Standards, which replaces the previous international framework and sets a higher benchmark for internal audit effectiveness. The focus was placed on governance of the internal audit function, highlighting the importance of independence, board oversight, and strategic alignment. The workshop un-derscored that an effective internal audit function depends on a strong partnership between the board, senior management, and internal auditors, supported by clear mandates, adequate resources, and a culture of integrity and accountability.
The programme also contextualised internal auditing within the King V governance framework, demonstrating how assurance, risk management, compliance, and technology governance must work in an integrated manner to achieve ethical culture, performance, and legitimacy. Through practical governance touchpoints, participants examined key instruments, including the internal audit charter, audit plans, and quality assurance processes, with a focus on ensur-ing that internal audit remains responsive to emerging risks and organisational priorities.
A highlight of the workshop was the interactive roundtable discussions, where participants moved from theory to practice, identifying assurance gaps, assessing audit quality, and pro-posing actionable improvements to strengthen oversight. These engagements reinforced a central message: effective governance is not achieved through structures alone, but through active, informed, and challenging leadership that demands accountability and drives continu-ous improvement.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Bernard Nthambeleni, closed the workshop by thank-ing all participants for their engagement and commitment, emphasising that the session marked a strategic move toward strengthening governance through actionable outcomes to be formalised in a report. He underscored the evolving role of internal audit as a value-adding, trusted advisory function that enhances trust, improves governance, and responds to emerg-ing risks. He further highlighted the need for collaboration, transparency, and shared owner-ship of risk-informed audit processes, calling for a culture of integrity, continuous improve-ment, and effective communication, supported by ongoing training to advance institutional sustainability and success.
By the close of the session, the workshop had achieved its core objective to align with the Global Internal Audit Standards fully: to build a shared understanding of roles, enhance over-sight capabilities, and position UNIVEN to fully align with the Global Internal Audit Standards. More importantly, it signalled the University’s commitment to embedding a robust assurance culture that not only meets compliance requirements but actively contributes to institutional excellence and public trust.
Top and bottom photos: During Roundtable discussions
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