Purple Group celebrates excellence, leadership and innovation in compliance

Purple Group’s chief compliance officer, Langelihle Nkabinde, has been named Compliance Officer of the Year at the Compliance Institute Southern Africa (CISA) Awards 2026. (That’s him above in the beige jacket, flanked by a group of Purple team members.)

Adding to the celebrations, the Purple Group compliance team placed second in the Innovative Team of the Year category – recognition of the team’s progressive approach to compliance and its contribution to the business.

CISA annually honours individuals and teams that demonstrate outstanding leadership, integrity and impact within the compliance profession. Its 2026 awards celebrated excellence across four categories, recognising senior professional leadership, contributions to anti-money laundering and financial crime compliance, emerging talent, and innovative teams delivering measurable results.

Langelihle – known to his colleagues as Lange – says it was an honour to represent Purple at what he described as the “Compliance Oscars”.

“Compliance is ultimately about creating trust,” he says. “This award belongs to the entire Purple team. I’m fortunate to work with people who understand that good compliance does more than protect a business – it enables sustainable growth, strengthens relationships and helps us serve our clients with confidence.”

He adds that the compliance team’s second-place finish is an achievement worth celebrating in its own right.

“Innovation in compliance is not always about building something complicated. Often, it means finding clearer, smarter and more practical ways to help people do the right thing. I’m incredibly proud of how our team continues to challenge convention while maintaining the highest standards.”

CN&CO founder and Purple Group chief enablement officer Carel Nolte says these achievements are well deserved.

“Lange combines an exceptional grasp of compliance with calm leadership, sound judgement and a genuine understanding of people,” says Carel. “He and his team make compliance part of how Purple thinks and operates – not simply a box to be ticked. This recognition is richly deserved, and we are enormously proud of them.”

Carel says the awards also reflect Purple’s wider culture of collaboration and innovation.

“The strongest businesses create environments where governance and entrepreneurship reinforce one another. Lange’s leadership shows that compliance can be a powerful enabler of innovation, trust and growth. It is wonderful to see both him and the team recognised by their peers.”

Congratulations to Lange and the entire Purple Group compliance team on this outstanding achievement.