The Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, has appointed Thabiso Lucas Thiti as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) for a period of five years, effective on 15 April 2026.
Thiti is expected to continue and deepen the vital work the FIC has done to combat illicit financial flows, organised crime, money laundering, and terrorism financing.
He takes on this role after South Africa successfully implemented reforms to address anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, which resulted in a decision to delist the country from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist last October.
“Thiti steps into this role at a pivotal time. We believe he has the requisite skill and experience to lead this critical institution. South Africa’s successful exit from the FATF greylist demonstrated the strength of collaboration between government, regulators, and the financial sector.
“Sustaining this momentum is paramount, and the FIC has a key role to play to ensure that South Africa’s financial system remains trusted, transparent, and globally competitive,” Godongwana said on Wednesday.
South Africa’s recent exit from the FATF greylist provided a key test for the FIC and the ecosystem of law enforcement agencies and government bodies tasked with safeguarding the integrity of the country’s financial system.
“SA’s exit from the watch list, in less than three years, provided proof of the rapid reforms that can be achieved when regulators, policymakers, law-enforcement agencies and members of the financial sector cooperate to achieve a clear objective.
“However, with a mutual evaluation by FATF due later this year, the country must continue to demonstrate progress in the effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions, and sanctions,” the Ministry of Finance said.
The Minister has thanked Advocate Pieter Smit, who has been Acting FIC Director since September 2023, for his diligent stewardship.
Thiti’s appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process undertaken since 2025 that culminated in a selection panel chaired by Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Zuko Godlimpi, recommending him as the preferred candidate.
He brings over 20 years of senior executive experience in public service, spanning the trade and industry advisory, the Justice Cluster, national security and intelligence operations, strategic management, and government leadership.
He is currently the Deputy Director General: Institutional Development and Support at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, a position he has held since April 2023.
He also served as Head of the Office of Interception at the State Security Agency (SSA), from 2020 to 2023.
Prior to that, he held several senior roles within the SSA for over 11 years from 2006 to 2018.
During this time, he was directly involved in strategy, operations, and coordination in the broader criminal justice system. -SAnews.gov.za
