The wait is over – the shortlists for the recently-launched Wired4Women Awards have been selected.
The initiative of the Wired4Women Tech Forum, in partnership with Telkom and ITWeb Brainstorm, aims to recognise the achievements of women working in the South African tech sector and pay it forward, opening doors for future generations.
The inaugural awards programme includes 11 categories, focusing on excellence across a wide range of roles, from top execs and trailblazers, to mentors, entrepreneurs, rising stars and students.
The call for nominations received an overwhelming response, with hundreds of submissions reflecting female contributions across the diverse roles in tech.
The shortlist selection is the first stage of a rigorous judging process. Based on the nominations, the judging panel, comprised of Wired4Women board members, ITWeb editors, and respected industry figures and academics, selected the finalists. The winners will be determined through interviews with the finalists and additional research.
Here are the finalists for the 2024 Wired4Women Awards:
Leader of the Year:
- Andisa Liba, chief people officer/co-founder, Floatpays/Women's Tech Connection
- Aveena Mothilall, CIO, Engen
- Lillian Barnard, president, Microsoft Africa
- Louise Taute, managing director, Westcon-Comstor
- Nadira Naidoo, CIO, Discovery Vitality
- Rashika Ramlal, public sector country manager and executive director, AWS
- Sarah Blignaut, business area head: digital solutions and services, SARS
- Sylvia Sathekge, chief information officer, SNG Grand Thornton
Top Tech Entrepreneur:
- Kimberley Taylor, owner/director, loop.co.za
- Bertha Kgokong, founder, Entrepreneur Tati Software, MobileGPT, Skhokho
- Gabi Immelman, CEO, Mindjoy
- Doreen Mokoena, CEO/CISO, Cybersec Clinique
Top Tech Innovator:
- Baratang Miya, founder and CEO, Girlhype Women Who Code
- Deidre Wolmarans, owner and founder, The Design and Digital Studio
- Jessica Hawkey, managing director, redAcademy
Tech for Good:
- Andisa Liba, co-founder, Women's Tech Connection
- Leonora Tima, CEO, Kwanele
- Queen Ndlovu, CEO, QP Drone Tech
IT Business Development Executive:
- Lorna Hardie, senior director, VMware Sub-Saharan Africa
- Liza Nolte, head, Global Demand Gen inQuba
- Noluthando Pama, general manager and employer trustee member, MTN
- Smangele Nkosi, GM/country leader, Cisco South Africa
- Sue Nesbitt, sales director for RSA and Africa, Mimecast
Rising Star in Security:
- Alisha Sarabjeeth, head of information security, Mr Price Group
- Thuli Mkhwanazi, junior researcher, CSIR
- Tshego Gaetsewe, chief information security officer, Sage
Rising Star in Cloud:
- Jessica Harvey, business unit manager, Tarsus Digital On Demand
- Lauren Wortmann, VP: applications and cloud, Dimension Data
- Taryn de Bruin, head of infrastructure and cloud, Mr Price Group
Rising Star in Coding:
- Matshepo Soto, software engineer, Crafter's Tech Studio
- Precious Mamotingoe Lesupi, data scientist, The Third Republic
- Tsholofelo Nkosi, software engineer intern, MTN (Software Solutions)
Top Tech Student:
- Bontle Moloi, IT student, Tshwane University of Technology
- Kim Small, student, University of Western Cape
- Oyena Mahlasela, Master’s student, CSIR
- Roslyn Tait, Master’s student, Nelson Mandela University
Mentor of the Year:
- Emmah Mphahlele, founder and director, Kids Innovate Africa
- Faith Sithole, lead: data science and analytics, Sasfin Bank
- Faith Burn, chief information officer, Eskom
- Fazlyn Petersen, senior lecturer, University of the Western Cape
- Mmabatho Mabotja, process engineer, Absa
- Nadia Veeran-Patel, head: information security, LRMG
- Nirvani Dhevcharran, CTO, platforms and operations, TFG (The Foschini Group)
- Sarah Blignaut, business area head: digital solutions and services, SARS
- Zandi Mbele, chairman and CEO, ETS Group
Trailblazer:
- Carike Botha, senior developer and consultant, iSolve
- Faith Burn, CIO, Eskom
- Lillian Barnard, president, Microsoft Africa
- Louise Taute, managing director, Westcon-Comstor
- Sandika Daya, senior manager: IT governance, risk and compliance, MultiChoice
- Siddika Osman, chief executive officer, Nkgwete IT Solutions
- Tebogo Makgatho, CEO, Netcampus
- Unathi Mtya, group chief information and digital officer, African Bank
- Zandile Mkhwanazi, co-founder and CEO, GirlCode
The winners will be announced at the Wired4Women Banquet on 22 May at The Venue, Houghton Hotel, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg.
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