On 9 August 1956, Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn led a group of 20 000 women in a march to the Union Buildings. They were marching with one goal in mind, equality for all. This fire and drive continues to lead local women to enter and contribute to the South African workforce in a meaningful and impactful manner, and we want to continue to celebrate and support that spirit!
Unfortunately, the tech industry (even globally) is still a little slow when it comes to the female workforce. Recent studies have shown that 11% of the engineering workforce is female. Only 24% of computing jobs are held by women, and the percentage of female STEM graduates is about 19%.
This needs to change, and we agree with Reshma below that it’s up to us to teach the current and next generation of girls.
“By teaching our girls to code, we’re not just preparing them to enter the workforce — we’re preparing them to lead it.” — Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code.
Blue Bean Software is a company whose values are built on equality, opportunity, and innovation. These internal values radiate through everything we do, including team structures and growing as a business and as individuals. With Women’s Month in mind, we pay tribute to all the women in tech, from software engineers to technical leads. These women passionately contribute to an industry that still has some strides to make when it comes to the upliftment and equality of female IT experts.
To commemorate Women’s Month and our women at Blue Bean Software, we asked some of our female team members a few questions to gain their perspectives and to help shine a light on how the IT industry can be a more equal industry.
Q&A with our women in tech
What inspired you to get into the tech industry?
“I kind of fell into the industry. I had just graduated from UCT and found a fantastic Edtech company. The idea of marrying tech with education appealed to me, so I interviewed and joined the company.
It was thrilling to see how tech was making education from top-tier SA universities more accessible, especially to those who were already in their careers but were keen on upskilling or making a switch.”
Nomfundo Mkhize, Talent Acquisition Manager, Blue Bean Software
Which IoT developments are you the most excited about?
“I kind of fell into the industry. I had just graduated from UCT and found a fantastic Edtech company. The idea of marrying tech with education appealed to me, so I interviewed and joined the company.
It was thrilling to see how tech was making education from top-tier SA universities more accessible, especially to those who were already in their careers but were keen on upskilling or making a switch.”
Nomfundo Mkhize, Talent Acquisition Manager, Blue Bean Software
“I am very excited about how IoT and AI are making moves at the moment! Every day, there is something new. That said, I’m also very exhilarated for and about the new generation. I mean when Covid hit kids were suddenly exposed to technology in the form of online learning.
For me, I saw great shifts toward the future of technology around the globe. People of all ages, but especially the younger generation, were exposed to something new that is accessible. And sometimes that’s all you need – exposure and awareness, the rest is history.”
Dimakatso Mongale, Technical Lead, Blue Bean Software
How do you combat biases in the tech industry?
“I’m always fully aware of why I am in the industry and as much as I am a female, I look at myself as a Software Engineer first.
I address the bias head-on as they arise and fortunately for me, I have always had a lot to offer in terms of skills and experience, so that bias issues never become the issue.”
Dimakatso Mongale, Technical Lead, Blue Bean Software
What advice would you give to women entering the tech field?
“This field is like a snakes and ladders game. We should learn from our failures and accept our failures, but make smarter moves moving forward.
You need to be a good listener and speak your truth. AND you must try to stay up to date with tech as much as possible. Technology is updating daily.”
Sabna Nizarudeen, Software Engineer, Blue Bean Software
Looking at the bigger picture and the global industry, do you think the wage gap between female and male software engineers is equal?
“I don’t think it’s equal. Studies have been conducted which prove that inequality is an issue. This issue is very unfair and needs to be changed. Female engineers offer the same value as their male counterparts and if there are shortcomings in female engineers they should be addressed and corrected.”
Dimakatso Mongale, Technical Lead
Who is your role model?
“My grandmother. She worked as a domestic worker and could not read or write in English. However, she took the little she had and started her own business with my grandfather, manufacturing herbal remedies. A business she still owns and runs today.
With that, she was able to educate her 6 daughters (my mother and aunts), all now successful in their careers. She instilled in all of us a strong sense of all a woman can accomplish, we are not inadequate and are capable of far more than we can even imagine. All it takes is dedication and hard work.”
Nomfundo Mkhize, Talent Acquisition Manager
To all female engineers in South Africa, we wish you a wonderful Women’s Month! May we all continue to work towards equality and recognition in this growing industry.
