Now in its second year, Inspiring Fifty South Africa, in cooperation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has launched an open call for nominations for the most inspiring South African women in the technology and innovation sectors.
Inspiring Fifty annually awards the 50 most inspiring women in the technology sector with the aim of providing a platform that brings more visibility to the achievements of women in the innovation and technology sector.
They are looking for role models and trailblazers in the technology and innovation space in the following categories – Enterprise, Startups, Diversity and Inclusion, Learning & Education, Not for Profit, VC and Funders, Mentorship and Emerging Leaders.
Last year’s winners ranged from founders of technology companies; women in C-Level positions in technology companies; academics, influencers, NGO heads, journalists and venture capitalists.
Among the women chosen were: SweepSouth’s Aisha Pandor, Lindiwe Matlali, founder and CEO of Africa Teen Geeks, Rapelang Rabana founder and CEO of Rekindle Learning, Ellen Fischat, managing director of Silicon Cape, Nunu Ntshingila, head of Facebook Africa and Yolisa Kani, Uber SA’s public policy head, among others.
This year’s panel of judges includes:
- Carol Bouwer, founder of Carol Bouwer Productions and UNICEF SA’s special advocate for women and children.
- Irene Ochem, founder and CEO of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum.
- Nokuthula Ndlovu, founder of Limit Breakers Global Foundation, a Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation mentor, an associate of the Department of Education’s Techno Girls Programme, mentor on Absa Bank’s Girls-in-Tech programme and ambassador for numerous technology empowerment initiatives.
- Dr Adriana Marais, theoretical physicist, head of Innovation at SAP Africa and aspiring extra-terrestrial.
- Abbas Jamie, director for innovation and transformation at Aurecon Africa who also serves as the community liaison, Africa, for the World Design Organisation.
- Thabile Ngwato, primetime and current affairs news anchor at the SABC.
- Frederik Gerner co-founder of FORWARD.one.
- Dr Mmaki Jantjies, head of the information systems department at the University of the Western Cape.
- Naadiya Moosajee, co-founder of WomHub and WomEng; independent board director at the MMI Foundation at Pegasys, emeritus director for the International Youth Foundation, and Global Future council member with the World Economic Forum: Gender, Education and the Future of Work.
- Baratang Miya, founder and CEO of Women In Tech Academy, regional coordinator and mentor for Mozilla, and award-winning speaker, facilitator, coder, blogger and tech education activist.
Deadline for nominations is 9 July 2018 – the finalists will be announced in 9 August 2018.
