Dr Mashilo Boloka, CEO of Online Safety Lab and Marketplace Risk advisory board member. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo)
Dr Mashilo Boloka, CEO of Online Safety Lab (OS Lab), has been appointed to the 2026 Marketplace Risk advisory board, joining a cohort of global ICT industry heavyweights shaping the future of trust, safety, compliance and marketplace innovation.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, US, Marketplace Risk is a multi-national platform for professionals working in the digital economy, with a focus on trust and safety, digital risk and fraud prevention.
It seeks to promote safer, more accountable digital platforms globally, ensuring user protection and platform integrity, and it also equips professionals with resources, education and tools to manage marketplace risks effectively.
According to the organisation, the advisory board will provide strategic and specialised guidance to the organisation, attend quarterly advisory board meetings, participate in global events, community engagements and outreach programmes, as well as support Marketplace Risk’s global network of professionals, regulators and innovators.
As the first African to serve on the international board, Boloka’s appointment marks a milestone for the broader African risk and marketplace ecosystem, it says.
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As advisory board member, he will contribute in the areas of ICT policy and regulation, online risk assessment and online safety strategy,ensuring Africa’s perspective is integrated into global digital trust discussions.
Joining Dr Boloka on the 2026 advisory board are professionals from across the world, including:
- Maryam Al Mansoori, founder at Rebound, experts in digital trust initiatives (UAE, Dubai)
- Andrew Boos, senior director of Marketplace Strategy and Operations at Artsy (US, New York)
- Pam Devata, attorney at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, specialising in compliance and regulatory law (US, Illinois)
- Sherry Lin, trust and safety lead for Google Play and Android (US, Colorado)
- Boyan Simeonov, manager of Global Risk Operations for Meta in EMEA (UK, London)
A former Film and Publication Board CEO, and founder of OS Lab, Boloka’s expertise in digital platform governance and strategic risk frameworks positions him to contribute meaningfully to the advisory board’s mission: guiding Marketplace Risk’s global programming, events and thought leadership throughout the year, notes Marketplace Risk.
OS Lab, which started operating in 2025, seeks to help organisations across Africa navigate the growing risks associated with digital platforms, emerging technologies and online abuse.
“I am honoured to join the Marketplace Risk advisory board at such a pivotal time when risk permeates digital platforms worldwide,” says Boloka.
“Trust, safety and accountability are now central to the sustainability of digital ecosystems. I look forward to contributing insights from Africa and collaborating with global leaders to strengthen digital trust and safety practices across platforms.”
In alignment with Marketplace Risk’s vision, OS Labwill host a Regulatory Horizon and Digital Marketplace Risk Summit and Bootcamp in Johannesburg in April.
The summit will convene regulators, industry leaders, platform operators and safety experts to shape Africa’s collective response to online risk and build safer, more trusted digital marketplaces for the continent’s future.
