(Pictured: Morongwa Saro, human relations manager, for Shoden Data Systems.)
Highly accomplished women are making their presence felt in the information technology sector in Africa, displacing the stereotypical view that males dominate this industry.
One of these women is Carey van Vlaanderen, the chief executive of anti-virus and security provider ESET. Her foray into IT began with an honours degree in information systems from the University of Cape Town (UCT) before immediately plunging into the security field with 4D Digital Security and followed by an almost obligatory stint in a garage-based-start-up.
She admits that although initially she was unsure of what direction to take after high school, everything flowed quite naturally once she settled on IT as a career.
“I really enjoyed my studies and so I applied to do my honours,” says Vlaanderen.
“After working for a bit and then some time off in London, I returned home and started with ESET as the sales and operations manager, followed by being appointed COO and finally in 2010, I became CEO,” she says.
It has been a meteoric rise and one that should serve as encouragement for young women entering the field. She admits, however, that there are still comparatively few women in the IT sector.
“I believe people still find it difficult to associate women in senior management positions in the IT industry. Due to a strong focus on the technical side of IT, which is traditionally a male orientated space, women still find it difficult to be heard or taken seriously,” she explains.
Another woman who has risen to the top of her field in the IT sector in Africa is Rapelang Rabana, the founding chief executive of Yeigo Communications. Rabana wasted no time making her mark by co-founding the Cape Town-based Yeigo straight after university.
It wasn’t long before the organisation garnered international interest for its innovation and drive, and in 2008, Yeigo partnered with the international Telfree group.
This go-getter agrees with ESET’s Van Vlaanderen when it comes to the low number of women working in strategic positions across the IT and technology communities.
“The gap is nothing short of staggering and has to be addressed at the core, the socialisation of young girls that predisposes them away from sciences, engineering, mathematics and ultimately technology.”
Rabana believes she escaped this trapdoor through the influence of her mother, an electrical engineer and aviation specialist.
“The extent of male-dominance in industries is something I only became aware of much later in life. The fundamental issues therefore are not really IT specific.”
Information technology and the sciences in general has traditionally been a male dominated field. However, the past few years have seen an increase in support for women entering the sphere.
Morongwa Saro, human relations manager (Africa) for Shoden Data Systems, is one such woman who has witnessed this change.
Saro entered the IT field with a background in the technical aspects but soon found her niche in HR. It is from here that she has been able to witness first hand the changes taking place in the field.
“The industry has changed a lot,” says Saro.
“You see a lot of women and not only in administrative positions but managerial and technical positions. Women have a voice and are given equal opportunities in most instances,” she adds.
She does ask whether there enough women are exposed to the potential opportunities career opportunities IT world. Her counterpart, Rabana, feels similarly as she reminds us that perhaps the changes that have occurred may not be fundamental ones.
“It is certainly more fashionable to support the advancement of women, and lot of important people are saying and doing the right things. Human beings are however creatures of habit with a lens into the world defined by their historical experience and it will be a few generations before a girl and boy child are equally predisposed to careers in technology,” Rabana points out.
Rabana goes on to note that while more women are involved in certain aspects, such as social media and project management, there is still a small number of women working in areas like core product innovation and development.
The challenges for women in IT are not unique to the industry and much of it is simply about proving themselves.
“You have to prove yourself in a male dominated industry while there are also challenges surrounding issues technical aptitude,” notes van Vlaanderen.
Morongwa Saro has also taken note of the difficulties facing her gender, but makes it clear that change is taking place.
When it comes to bringing more women into IT, Morongwa believes that a long-term approach to developing the young women of South Africa, in particular, needs to be pursued.
“We need internships and management programs. Go into schools and identify candidates and then help them with bursaries before bringing them into the industry and building them up through training and development.”
While there are indeed a number of challenges facing women in IT, the enthusiasm and passion the likes of Rapelang Rabana and Carey van Vlaanderen have for the IT industry is palpable.
“I love the extraordinary privilege of seeing something you have worked on manifested into reality, after it all started with just a thought. It always makes me smile, that all we had the beginning was a thought – and how incredibly powerful human thought, the imagination and discipline can be, when backed by persistence.”
For ESET’s chief executive, it is the constantly changing nature of IT that enthuses her:
“I love how dynamic my job is and how we have to act quickly on projects to keep up with different technologies and trends of client demands. This means constantly working with brilliant people and being agile enough adapt to a new situation on the fly.”
It is that very same enthusiasm that causes van Vlaanderen to believe in the bright future that exists for women entering the IT world.
“There is so much room for women to grow in IT. I just think women are scared off by the technical side of the industry. It is exciting to know that there are so many career paths that women can still venture into, as long as we just let them know they are most definitely capable.”
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