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1. Background and Purpose

The International Credit Union Regulators’ Network (ICURN) is coordinating a regional, in-person supervisory training program focused on the regulation and supervision of financial cooperatives/SACCOs and microfinance banks. The program is intended to support supervisory authorities through peer learning, practical supervisory tools, and discussion of emerging regulatory trends.

2. Participation and Format

The Program will be delivered as a week-long, in-person training workshop. Participation is aimed at supervisory authorities responsible for the oversight of SACCOs and cooperative/microfinance banks across the region. The Program is expected to accommodate approximately 25 participants.

3. Dates and Location

  • Date:                      23-27 March 2026
  • Location:                South African Reserve Bank (SARB), 370 Helen Joseph Street, Pretoria, South Africa
  • Accommodation: There are many accommodation options around the SARB. We would recommend The Southern Sun Pretoria (4 -                                 star), which is 750m away from the SARB and charges R1,500 (approx. US$100) a night. No block booking has been                                   made.


4. Cost and Logistics

The program fee is USD 700 per participant. This covers program delivery,  training materials, lunches and tea breaks. Participating authorities will be responsible for their own travel, accommodation and expenses to and from the training.

5. Program Outline

  • Purpose of supervision
  • History of SACCOs globally and in Africa
  • Risk-based supervision
  • Accounting for financial institutions
  • History of the Basel Accords and applicability to SACCOs/microfinance banks
  • Updated Core Principles of supervising SACCOs versus commercial banks
  • Measuring SACCO/microfinance bank performance
  • Financial analysis of SACCOs/microfinance bank
  • Credit risk management
  • Governance risk management
  • Operational risk management
  • Resolution frameworks and liquidation of SACCOs
  • Trends in SACCO / cooperative and microfinance bank supervision, including RegTech and SupTech
  • End of Week Learning Assessment and Certificates


6. Instructors

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​Quality Assurance & Recognition

The training format will include interactive presentations, group exercises and case studies using data from financial cooperatives. Together these components will aim to make the training highly relevant and practical for the current challenges facing financial cooperative supervisors. Upon successful completion, each participant will receive an ICURN certificate of completion.























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ICURN offers intensive classroom training for credit union and microfinance supervisors around the globe.  Hundreds of supervisors from Asia, Africa, Europe, Caribbean and the Americas have been trained through our programs.  The content is customized to meet the needs of supervisors in a region an usually cover issues such as cyber-security, stress-testing, risk-based supervison and problem resolution of credit unions.   At the end of the one-week session a written examination will be administered to help reinforce the training materials. 

Dave Grace is the Executive Director of ICURN, and consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. A former central banker, as well as a senior vice president in charge of policy/advocacy with the World Council of Credit Unions, Mr. Grace excels at helping governments, donors and financial institutions develop policy frameworks. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Finance from Washington University in St. Louis and graduated honors from St. Louis University with a B.S. in Economics and International Business. Mr. Grace has worked in over 80+ countries and has trained central bank supervisors in dozens of countries and has recently conducted a virtual training program for supervisors on behalf of the IMF.   

Training for Credit Union Supervisors

David de Jong is a financial cooperative supervision specialist with over four decades of regulatory and
supervisory experience. He previously served as Senior Bank Analyst at the Prudential Authority of South Africa
and as Acting Managing Director of the Co-operative Banks Development Agency. His experience includes the
development of prudential regulations, risk-based supervisory methodologies, and the assessment of cooperative bank and CFI applications for registration. He has delivered supervisory training to regulators across Africa and currently advises the World Bank on cooperative banking initiatives.

ICURN Regional Supervisory Training Program
SACCOs and Microfinance Supervision
South African Reserve Bank: 23-27 March