This edition of Internal Audit Review – A Practitioner’s Guide seeks to examine that relationship in depth. It brings together perspectives from experienced practitioners within our community, alongside fresh insights from emerging talent, including two of the top internal audit students from the University of Pretoria. Together, these contributions reflect both the depth of experience and the evolving thinking that will shape the future of our profession.
At its core, governance is about trust. It is about ensuring that organisations act with integrity, deliver on their objectives, and remain accountable to their stakeholders. Internal audit plays a vital role in sustaining that trust. By providing independent, objective assurance and insight, internal auditors help boards and audit committees understand whether governance arrangements are not only in place, but are effective, resilient, and responsive to risk.
However, the traditional view of this relationship—where governance is static and internal audit simply evaluates compliance—is no longer sufficient. Governance itself is evolving. Organisations are facing increasingly complex risk environments, driven by technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory pressure, and heightened stakeholder expectations. In this context, governance is no longer just about structures and policies; it is about behaviour, culture, decision-making, and adaptability.
This shift has profound implications for internal audit.
First, internal auditors must move beyond a narrow focus on controls and compliance. While these remain important, they are only one part of the governance ecosystem. Increasingly, internal audit is being called upon to assess the effectiveness of governance in a broader sense: how decisions are made, how risks are understood and managed, and whether organisational culture supports ethical and sustainable outcomes.
Second, the relationship between internal audit and those charged with governance must become more dynamic. Effective governance relies on timely, relevant, and forward-looking insight. Internal audit functions that position themselves as trusted advisors—while maintaining their independence—are better placed to influence governance outcomes. This requires strong communication, deep organisational understanding, and the confidence to challenge constructively.
Third, the nature of the risks facing organisations is changing, and governance must adapt accordingly. Few areas illustrate this more clearly than artificial intelligence. As organisations increasingly adopt AI technologies, questions of governance become both more critical and more complex. How are AI systems designed, implemented, and monitored? Who is accountable for their outcomes? How are risks such as bias, transparency, and ethical use addressed? Internal auditors have a crucial role to play in evaluating whether governance frameworks are keeping pace with these developments.
Similarly, culture has emerged as a central component of effective governance. Policies and procedures alone cannot ensure good governance if the underlying culture does not support ethical behaviour and sound decision-making. Assessing culture is inherently challenging—it is less tangible, less measurable, and often more sensitive than traditional audit areas. Yet it is precisely here that internal audit can add significant value, by providing insights into how culture is experienced across the organisation and how it influences risk and performance.
These emerging areas highlight a broader point: the future of the relationship between internal audit and governance will be defined by complexity and interdependence. Governance will increasingly need to address issues that are cross-cutting, rapidly evolving, and difficult to quantify. Internal audit, in turn, will need to develop new skills, methodologies, and perspectives to provide meaningful assurance in this environment.
This includes embracing data analytics and technology, not only as tools for auditing but as subjects of audit in their own right. It also involves developing greater expertise in areas such as behavioural risk, sustainability, and digital transformation. Perhaps most importantly, it requires a mindset shift—from retrospectively assessing what has happened, to proactively considering what could happen next.
The contributions in this edition reflect many of these themes. Practitioners from our LinkedIn community share their experiences of navigating the governance landscape in diverse organisational contexts. Their articles explore topics such as the role of internal audit in supporting board effectiveness, the challenges of auditing culture, and the practical realities of providing assurance over emerging risks.
Alongside these experienced voices, we are pleased to include contributions from two outstanding students from the University of Pretoria. Their perspectives offer a glimpse into the future of the profession—one that is intellectually curious, technologically aware, and attuned to the broader societal implications of governance. Their work reminds us that the next generation of internal auditors will not simply inherit existing practices; they will redefine them.
As editor, I am particularly encouraged by the diversity of thought represented in this edition. It underscores an important point: there is no single “right” way to approach the relationship between internal audit and governance. Organisations differ in their structures, cultures, and risk profiles, and internal audit functions must adapt accordingly. What matters is not rigid adherence to a model, but a clear understanding of purpose and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Looking ahead, the importance of strong governance—and of effective internal audit—will only increase. Stakeholders are demanding greater transparency, accountability, and assurance. Regulators are raising expectations. Technological change is accelerating. In this environment, organisations that fail to invest in governance do so at their peril.
For internal auditors, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to remain relevant in a rapidly changing landscape, to develop new capabilities, and to engage meaningfully with complex and often ambiguous issues. The opportunity is to play a central role in shaping the future of governance, to provide insights that go beyond assurance, and to contribute to the long-term success and sustainability of organisations.
This edition is intended as a starting point for that conversation. It invites you, as practitioners, to reflect on your own role within the governance ecosystem, to consider how your work can add greater value, and to engage with the ideas and experiences of others in our community.
The relationship between internal audit and governance is not static. It is evolving, as it must. Our task is to ensure that it evolves in a way that strengthens both disciplines—and, ultimately, the organisations and stakeholders they serve.
