DIRECTOR
Adv Xolisile Khanyile is a career prosecutor having served different roles in law enforcement agencies for a period of 23 years. Xolisile served in a senior position in the Asset Forfeiture Unit for a period of more than 5 years and was appointed by the President of South Africa as a Director of Public Prosecutions (“DPP”) for a period of 8 years, 2 years in the South Gauteng Division as the Acting DPP and 6 years in the Free State Division as the DPP.
From January 2018, she held the position of Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre (the FIC) of South Africa where she is responsible for the strategic and operational functioning of the FIC ensuring the fulfillment of its mandate both domestically and internationally.
As part of her duties as Director, Xolisile represents both the FIC and the Government of South Africa at various international events, allowing her to build necessary relationships with essential stakeholders. Xolisile served as the Vice Chair of the Egmont Group for 2 years and the Chair for a year.
Xolisile has conducted numerous training sessions, both nationally and internationally to prosecutors, law enforcement, civil society, regulators and the financial sector, amongst many others. Her vast experience in fighting crime has allowed her the opportunity to not only impart knowledge but train up and coming professionals in the same field.
Amongst the numerous training opportunities she has led, Xolisile has also provided training on financial crimes, sexual offences, asset forfeiture, corruption, human trafficking and environmental matters to a number of African countries as well as globally. Some notable training sessions were held with the International Symposium on Corruption, International Strategy to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Precious Metals, United Nations Inter-Regional Crime and Justice Institute, Black Association Legal Education Centre.
Xolisile has been a guest speaker and a speaker at several international for a such as the Lausanne Conference, Interpol 90 General Assembly, Wolfsberg Annual Conference, United For Wildlife Global Summit hosted by Lord Hague and the represented the Egmont Group at various global events.
Xolisile led the establishment of the Fusion Centre in South Africa and the first Public Private Partnership in Africa, the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (SAMLIT).
Xolisile was awarded the best Financial Crime Fighter Award in 2022 by the Global Coalition For Fight Against Financial Crime (‘the Coalition). On 30 August 2023 she was appointed as the Chair of the African Chapter of the Coalition.
Xolisile holds a B Juris and a LLB degree from the University of Zululand, MDP from the Business School of the University of Free State (UFS) and a LLM in Labour Law from the UFS respectively. She attended the Duke University African Women Charted Accountants’ Women Leading Africa Programme in 2015 and graduated in 2016. She also attended the 4 th Innovative Road Safety Management Leadership Programme in Melbourne, Australia in 2015.