Who Are We ?

womenintechAfrica

In the past few years there has been a flourishing number of self-organisation amongst African women in technology. Many focus on encouraging women entering the field as coders, IT managers and to establish enterprises that increase women’s socio-economic well-being. Projects have also focused on improving self-reliance and livelihoods in rural areas.

In order to identify and learn from other Women in Technology organisations in Africa, Women in Technology Ghana spear headed and run the first Pan African women in tech virtual meet up which brought together over 150 women in technology roles across Africa and was featured in CNN.

The success of this process resulted established a formal Pan-African Network of Women in Technology to organise regular activities to provide effective support to women in technology across the African continent.

Women in Tech Africa’s Vision is three fold
• Creating today’s female leaders and role Models for tomorrow’s Women
• Showing the world what a strong African woman in capable of achieving
• Support African growth through technology

Africa Women in Tech is the brainchild of ICT4D GH Foundation
[slideshare id=48522779&doc=womenintechafricapresentation-150523194939-lva1-app6892] Women in Tech Africa routinely runs event across Africa including:
• First Pan African Women in Tech virtual conference
• Quarterly meetings in Ghana showcasing successful women in tech in that country including head of Google, head of Microsoft Africa
• Joint Women and Tech and USAID Program on the subject of women and technology, the future of Africa
• Women in Technology sessions in Lagos Nigeria at Africa biggest social media event , social media Lagos
• Training for Women Entrepreneurs on the use on technology for business growth

Technology is About Efficiency -Sherifah Tumusiime(My Dream)

Wikipedia defines technologist broadly: A technologist is a specialist who is trained to perform work in a field of technology. I believe a better definition of a technologist is “a person who manipulates resources in the most efficient manner using specialized technology available to complete a task”.

This really appeals to me as efficiency, sufficiency and creative thinking have been part of my life from when I was very young and thus has fuelled my desire to become a Professional technologist.

There have been uncountable engineering feats that have awed the world. From the first moon landing, the construction of the Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal, the Millau Viaduct to the Hadron Collider, used to discover the birth of the Universe, to the mechanics of a can opener, irrespective of the size of the project, engineering principles coupled with diligent application, have enhanced the accelerating technological age and have made our lives easier. On the flip side, it does not take long before one reads in the world headlines the signs of climate catastrophe, diminishing resources and human tragedy resulting from malfunctioning, poorly designed equipment and/or poorly engineered technology. These are the avoidable issues that we cannot afford to ignore.

From international world class mountain bikes to nail clippers, practically any part of anything man-made can be attributed to an engineer or more probably a team of engineers using a particular technology. Opportunities for improvement are everywhere; we just need the right sort of people and the technology to achieve them.
I have been strongly influenced by having grown up in an environment of computing and technology. My mother, an IT officer, has always shared the benefits and challenges of her job and the way it impacted the rest of the organization and this sparked my enthusiasm for technology. I started out by being an intern in the network department of MTN, a multinational African telecom rising up to being a leader of a team of Data Centre Operations Engineers. I am currently the CEO of Zimba Group LTD, an IT firm that develops e-solutions for small and medium enterprises with a focus on women-led organisations.

I intend to be part of the new generation of technologists who help Africa rise to the challenge of developing efficient, ecologically aware and forward thinking regarding systems and technologies.

Technology is about using resources efficiently to find solutions to challenges. I find this not only fulfilling but enjoyable. I want to go to work each day, being part of a team and doing something to make a difference in Africa, is a dream job in my eyes.

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Bio

Sherifah Tumusiime(Uganda)

A fiery entrepreneur and independent thinker with proven abilities in web development, project management, communications, and IT services. She is an enthusiastic and high-achieving IT professional with a Bachelor of Computer Science with over 5 years’ experience in information systems. She is currently the CEO of Zimba Group Ltd, an Adtech company providing technical and software solutions for SME’s.

KEEPING PACE-YERE-ISIBOR MIRIAM (My Dream)

art work miriam

Early enough in life I decided to always explore alternatives.
I had expected it would always be sufficiently easy to execute any lifestyle changes I contemplated.
From young years of wanting to be a lawyer to a brief turn-around in favour of medicine before finally settling into a soothing lull where I simply told myself I was going to be an engineer. An affinity for lighted screens, disassembling and assembling small gadgets was not enough

When I gained a first degree in Statistics and tried and failed to get a job and no mentor or professional body that would teach me to be the great statistician I so wanted to be, I acquired skills in web design.
Seeming simple at the beginning, I discovered the field was much wider than I had been tutored. I soon began to feel like one very tiny fish in an exceedingly large ocean. When you do things that take you outside your comfort zone, you will constantly have to remind yourself that pain may be inevitable but misery is optional. Get ready.

One day in March 2015, I saddled up and began to take online classes to enhance my knowledge. Coupling it with my NGO job was not easy as there were many sleep-truncated nights. I sought out other web designers and asked questions. I did not get it instantly as even now I sometimes have to retrace my steps.

The greatest thing of all is I got better at my jobs.
I dream of building wonderful, unconventional websites.
I dream of inventing exceptional applications, soft-wares probably with programs so complex it would take almost donkey years for anyone to decode and make geniuses salute me.
Every day I learn something new about technology that thrills me. And that thrill? That’s what assures me my dream is not a lie.

Bio

miriam

Miriam Iyere-Isibor(Nigeria)  begun a freelance career in technology through web design and social media platform management.Miriam is a Statistician and IT Manager at Yeve Logistics And Procurements Limited.Owner of QEREN WEB AND GRAPHICS DESIGN, a company still in infancy, she also authors two blogs where she writes her personal musings on life issues and advertises events.Accompanying an intense love for music is an interest in travelling.

Nisha follows her Instincts

Portrait of an attractive African American business woman smiling confidently

My name is Nisha Maharaj, MD of Niche Integrated Solutions- South Africa. I have an accumulated service record of 20 years within the Banking, Financial services and Telecommunications sectors of which more than 14 years have been served at either Senior or Executive Management level. In addition, I am a specialist in unsecured lending (microfinance). After having spent decades in financial services, I decided to embark on my own entrepreneurial journey in business.

Whilst exploring my options, I stumbled into the world of business in technology. All my consulting assignments led to problems around operational efficiencies which only technology could solve. In the space of the commercial and financial services arena in South Africa, we do not have very robust home grown technologies so I researched the globe to find solutions that could bring value to South Africa.

I was very fortunate to have cultivated partnerships with some of the global leaders in technology, to bring these solutions to my country. We have made headlines since my first year of operation having won two major bids with two South African banks, I saw success instantly with technology. Not only am I happy that I Decided to follow my instincts, I am also making a significant difference to the South African financial services arena, and our customers are satisfied. Technology has the potential to make your dreams come true –it changes the past, present and future

Author BIO

Nisha Maharaj(South Africa) CEO of NICHE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS-SOUTH AFRICA

CEO of Airtel,Dep MD of UT Bank and others Speak at Women in Tech Africa

Women in Tech Africa (Ghana Chapter) in collaboration wit USAID and IREX on the 27th of April  organized a special session Women and Technology at the Alissa Hotel in  Accra.

Speaking at the events was :

CEO Airtel Ghana ( Lucy Quist) first female CEO of a  multinational telecommunications company in Ghana

Deputy Managing Director UT Bank  and one of the most powerful personalities in Banking in Ghana( Pearl Esua-Mensah)

Director of Mobile Web Ghana ( Florence Toffa)

Director of Innovation Grameen Foundation

CEO of EDEL Technology Consulting and Founder Women in Tech Africa

Citifm was on hand to  feature our speakers on their #Cititrends program . listenhere