The Untapped Potential of South Africa's Girls in Tech
By Phindiwe Nqanqaru, full stack developer and co-founder of BabesGotBytes.org
It was a small act of rebellion, driven by curiosity and hope. I had only matric and growing up in the township of Gugulethu outside Cape Town when I attended my first coding class. In my community, most people believed technology was a domain reserved only for men. Sadly this is a perspective that persists. But on that day, I defiantly wanted to prove that girls can code.
Like many of my peers, I had never used a computer. I felt lost and was drifting through life, unsure of my calling. I didn’t know where my journey would take me. But a kind instructor patiently guided me through some basic coding concepts and something came alive deep inside me.
With each new line of code I wrote I came alive. I experienced an incredible sense of power and potential. Suddenly, the world felt limitless. It was as if I was unlocking a digital superpower that would change the trajectory of my life forever.
Later when I exited a career as a full stack developer to try and change my world, I realised the feeling was not unique. I live in South Africa, a country where 80% of the population is black, and a staggering 97% of black women are underrepresented in the tech industry.
This disparity not only highlights the lack of opportunities but also perpetuates a cycle of inequality and poverty.
This is why together with Amanda Gxagxa BabesGotBytes was created. We understand the challenges facing girls from townships and impoverished contexts who want to change their future trajectory. As young girls, we overcame similar obstacles to becoming successful software developers.
This is why we created BabesGotBytes.org to build a pipeline of engineers by teaching girls to dream, code and innovate. At BabesGotBytes, I have witnessed girls from disadvantaged communities across South Africa experience this same big moment. As young women gain digital literacy and skills like software development, their confidence soars. Even the shyest students became empowered builders and creators, envisioning themselves as the future innovators and leaders of our nation's technology sector.
Sadly, such transformative experiences are still the exception rather than the norm in South Africa where only three per cent of black women are represented in the ICT industry. This inequity is not just a moral failing, but an economic one.
We deprive our country of massive innovation by failing to invest in girls as the next generation of engineers and technologists.
The benefits of developing female ICT leadership extend far beyond simply balancing gender ratios. Research from the 2023 South African SME Tech Index found that female-owned technology companies outperformed their male counterparts in measures of business growth. Women bring a unique problem-solving ability that nimbly navigates challenges - an essential skill the world needs now.
Despite the clear competitive advantages that women offer, archaic gender stereotypes in our society. Too often, the potential of girls is dismissed before they even have a chance to explore their interests and talents. BabesGotBytes is working to dismantle these biases at the root.
Through grassroots programs focused on digital literacy, coding and robotics education, professional development workshops, and internship placements, BabesGotBytes exposes girls to the creative and lucrative possibilities of STEM and ICT careers from an early age. We empower girls to defy societal norms and become engineers, computer scientists or creators of artificial intelligence tools.
The impact has been profound. In 2023 alone, we helped five young women secure technology jobs at leading companies while placing 14 more in internships with major firms like Samsung. Many of our alumni, some of whom had never touched a computer before joining BabesGotBytes, are now studying computer science and engineering at top universities.
Yet immense potential remains untapped. Every passing year, countless girls in South Africa decide that technology careers are simply "not for them." Why? Because they lack access to a computer or internet connection at school and home. Or don’t have a relatable role model in STEM to inspire them to dream bigger. These systemic barriers perpetuate generational cycles of poverty and inequality.
On this International Girls in ICT Day, we must move beyond rhetoric and take bold action. Building an inclusive, innovative economy hinges on investing in and uplifting girls from all backgrounds, ensuring they gain equitable access to technology education, training, and career pathways.
Looking back at that pivotal day in the coding classroom, I realise how ‘lucky’ I was to encounter technology. My superpower was unlocked, and now I want to use it to change this country, and possibly the world, forever. Today on International Girls in ICT Day I want to ask you: “How many more super powered girls in technology are we willing to miss out on before we do something together to change this?”
Phindiwe Nqanqaru is a full-stack developer and Co-Founder of BabesGotBytes, a platform dedicated to empowering women through technology education. As a Women TechMakers Ambassador recognized by Google worldwide, Nqanqaru is committed to advocating for diversity and inclusivity in technology and mentoring young developers. To partner with our organization, please reach out to me on LinkedIn. To donate to our https://www.babesgotbytes.org/donate/