ITWeb Cloud Summit 2026: Balancing speed, security and governance

Organisations are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at a rapid pace, outpacing their ability to establish adequate governance frameworks. This poses significant risks, as highlighted by Pheello Motolo, senior manager for IT infrastructure, operations, cyber security and governance at Motus Car Rental. In preparation for his keynote address at the upcoming ITWeb Cloud Summit 2026, Motolo emphasized the need for organizations to strike a balance between AI deployment, risk management, and governance requirements.

He cautioned against the instinct to simply restrict AI use, as this often leads to shadow IT and underground adoption. Instead, Motolo suggested providing approved AI platforms, clear acceptable-use policies, data classification requirements, appropriate access controls, and monitoring. If left unaddressed, organizations risk losing control over their technology environment without realizing it.

Unsanctioned SaaS tools may be used as teams resort to workarounds when operational pressures surpass official IT delivery. Motolo advised against viewing governance as a hindrance to innovation. He stressed that governance serves as the guardrails that facilitate safe and consistent innovation at scale, ensuring that the safest and most compliant option is also the most efficient and fastest for businesses.

Ntando Sibanda, senior conference producer at ITWeb Events, noted that the summit occurs at a time when organizations are under pressure to balance the speed of AI and cloud transformation with security, governance, resilience, and cost. The event offers delegates the opportunity to learn how to achieve this balance while gaining insights from organizations grappling with these challenges. The ITWeb Cloud Summit will be held in Johannesburg on September 29.