This Women’s Month, we shine the spotlight on African women who are helping to bridge the digital divide and opening up the technology industry for generations of women to come. – Article written by Aphiwe Mame.

Are women benefiting from digital transformation? Who is actually working to close the digital gap, and where do women feature on Africa’s digital transformation agenda?

The pandemic has highlighted the need for digital technology more than ever before. As people are encouraged to stay home to stay healthy, questions bubble to the surface: Would we have been able to stay connected with one another without the internet? How much of our livelihoods can we realistically shift online? As the weeks continue to pass, the dire situation becomes glaringly undeniable for those without access to devices and data for work.

Globally, we’ve seen a rise in women working as influencers, developing small and medium businesses, finding their feet in information and communications technology, and entering digital marketing. This has only brought into sharp focus the need for South Africans to know the job and career opportunities available online.

These sentiments were echoed by Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Pinky Kekana who urged South Africans to focus on educating young people about the dynamics and range of careers in the technology world, especially young women and girls.

Meet the Trailblazers

We are seeing some incredible women tackle the challenge head-on.

Take, for example, Mmaki Jantjies, a social entrepreneur with a passion for sharing how technology innovations can play in improving society. Working with UN Women and Mozilla foundation, she founded an organization, Peo Ya Phetogo, which runs various STEM programmes to encourage young South Africans to take up technology as a business or career.

Ethel Cofie is the Founder of Women in Tech Africa, Africa’s largest women in technology group with members in over 30 Africa countries and in the diaspora and growing.