Meet five of South Africa’s leading female IT executives as they reflect on their journeys, challenges and visions for the future of technology leadership.
South Africa’s technology landscape is being shaped by exceptional women who are redefining leadership in the ICT industry. To mark the close of Women’s Month, we highlight interviews with five trailblazing CIOs and CTOs who share their journeys and the challenges and wins that shaped how they show up as leaders.
Nomonde White-Ndlovu, CIO, Bidvest Bank
Nomonde White-Ndlovu, CIO of Bidvest Bank, is an award-winning technology leader and the 2024 CIO Awards Young CIO of the Year. Alongside her role as a technology executive, wife and mother, she is a dedicated mentor and serves as chairperson of the Wired4Women board.
“I have a vested interest in ensuring that we have more female representation at executive levels in our country because I also selfishly want to see more women occupy these positions and thrive,” says Nomonde. Read her interview here to learn more about her personal and professional ethos.
Nicole Harris, CTO, Massmart Africa
Nicole Harris’s journey to technology leadership is defined by resilience and determination. Becoming a mother at a young age meant she had to work harder than most. Today, she leads a team of more than 350 technologists and drives the technology vision for four of Massmart Africa’s brands: Builders Warehouse, Game, Makro and Cash & Carry.
“I knew I had to succeed, no matter what. When others left the office at 4pm, I stayed until 6pm. If I was assigned a task, I completed it in half the time – that was my approach,” Nicole says. While her leadership style has evolved to embrace empathy and humility, she remains passionate about execution. Read her interview with CIO South Africa here.
Maletsema Phofu, CIO, UJ
Maletsema Phofu’s IT career was purely accidental. She had no idea what she wanted to study after high school, so she ended up applying for a national diploma in IT – and fell in love with the profession. Today, she is responsible for leading the University of Johannesburg’s technology strategy, with a focus on empowering people and promoting cyber awareness.
“My journey is no longer just about me – it’s about using my experiences to uplift others and contribute to a broader purpose,” she adds. Learn more about Maletsema’s role in executing UJ’s 2035 strategy here.
Faith Burn, CTOO, Land Bank
A servant leader at heart, Faith Burn is passionate about public service and has dedicated her career to improving public entities. She previously served as CIO at Eskom and is now CTOO at Land Bank. The 2023 Public Sector CIO of the Year award winner believes that working for a public sector organisation is the greatest sign of patriotism.
“I believe that if every South African gave at least two years of their life to our country, our country would be the better for it and so would the individual,” Faith says. Read her interview here to learn more about her career journey.
May Govender, group CIO, Old Mutual
Beginning her career in academia as an IT lecturer, May Govender took the scenic route to IT leadership exploring various roles that ultimately led her to IT leadership. Before joining Old Mutual, she held positions at leading financial services institutions including Absa, Standard Bank and Tyme Bank.
“Being a holistic CIO means transcending the traditional boundaries of IT leadership. It involves not only having a mastery of technical intricacies but also possessing the acumen to navigate the intricate world of business operations,” she explains. Read May’s interview here for more on her unconventional journey to tech leadership.
