Our 6 Expert Speakers
Omeshnee Naidoo
Director of Information Systems at the City of Cape Town
"As female leaders, we must continue to coach and mentor females coming into the industry to not be afraid of who they are, and to take risks.’’
Sharon Vergotine
Head of IT – Robotic Process Automation & Cognitive Services at Old Mutual South Africa
"’Technology is constantly changing, so you’ve got to be hungry and willing to give it your all.’’
Nomfundo Ndlanya
Business Technology Manager: South and Sub-Saharan Africa at Johnson & Johnson
‘’It's really up to us to open these doors and platforms the next generation of women in tech, and to look at ways of how we can make their journey’s easier.’’
Carey van Vlaanderen
CEO at ESET Southern Africa
‘’It’s absolutely our duty, as people that hold leadership roles within this industry, to be able to show those around us that they can do anything in tech.’’
Lisa Strydom
Manager of Channels - Africa at Veeam Software
‘’If we come up with some good programs that can actually support ladies to think of IT as a job option, we really need to support that.’’
Wendy Bailey
Business Unit Head at RSAWEB
‘’In a country as diverse and culturally rich as South Africa, we should be focused on inclusiveness and representation of the entire nation.’’
It was with these inspiring women that we touched on topics that covered the following:
How they got started in the tech industry, and the experiences that led them to a career in technology.
What they believe the biggest challenges facing women seeking a career in technology are.
How women currently in the industry can be good role models for young women seeking a career in tech.
What their biggest successes and learning opportunities have been.
What advice they have for women experiencing imposter syndrome.
What within the technology industry currently excites them?
Interestingly, when discussing the biggest challenges facing women seeking a career in technology, Nomfundo Ndlanya said that ‘’The challenges facing the next generation of women tie back to the opportunities available to them, and the limited exposure they get to technology early on in their lives’’.
Watch The Webinar
For those that couldn’t attend our latest Webinar and would like to watch it in its entirety, we’ve included it for your viewing pleasure below. Feel Free to share the Webinar with your friends, colleagues and anyone else you believe could benefit from listening to the conversations we had with our country’s top women in tech.
After our session we had a Q&A that revealed some insightful answers:
Question 1:
Do you notice a lack of women in technology? If so, why do you think that’s the case?
Wendy Bailey’s Answer:
’I definitely think that the industry is still very male-dominated. There are probably many reasons for this. Possibly the fact that many women themselves feel that the industry is “for men”. To change this, we need to realise that this is an industry for anyone with a passion for tech, regardless of their gender, race, or religion.’’
Question 2:
For a young learner considering IT as a career, which University or college would you suggest and what courses would you suggest taking?
Sharon Vergotine’s Answer:
‘’My view is at a foundational level (Degree or Diploma) I would choose Stellenbosch University. With that said, you need to have some clarity of what you would like to do in IT. If you pivot around the skills in demand for now and the future then you could look at studying Cloud Technology, Artificial Intelligence, or Data Science.’’
Question 3:
Do you believe that women should take more risks in business?
Omeshnee Naidoo’s Answer:
‘’I believe that it is important to learn how to get “comfortable” in an uncomfortable space. As one moves into new roles that they haven’t done before, there will be the trepidation of not knowing the answer all the time. I have come to find through mentoring and coaching that females tend to struggle with that a lot more than men. So yes – it is ok to seek risks.’’
Question 4:
Do you have any tips for finding the right mentor? And how do you go about approaching them?
Nomfundo Ndlanya’s Answer:
When seeking a mentor, you will need to be very explicit in terms of what you want to get out of their mentorship. That will then help with the conversation you end up having with the person you are approaching and allow you to judge whether or not it’s a good fit. I approached one of my mentors on LinkedIn and they agreed because I showed that I was willing to own and run with the process.
Question 5:
Why do you think that the perception exists that tech is a more masculine industry? Why do you think women are less inclined to pursue careers in the sector?
Lisa Strydom’s Answer:
‘’I think it’s been a perception, but it’s great to see that in the last few years that there are more senior leaders in IT organisations. Also, IT isn’t just fixing a PC or server. IT is such a broad-spectrum industry and there are so many exciting avenues you can follow within it.”
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