In a world still grappling with gender inequality across sectors, Zandile Mkwanazi is rewriting the narrative—one line of code at a time. As the Founder and CEO of GirlCode, South Africa’s largest women-in-tech education organization, Mkwanazi has spent the past decade championing the inclusion of women and girls in the digital economy. Her work has impacted over 80,000 young women, equipping them with the skills and confidence to thrive in the technology industry.
GirlCode, established under Mkwanazi’s leadership, is more than a nonprofit—it’s a movement. From coding clubs in primary and high schools to intensive training programs for unemployed graduates, GirlCode is closing the gender gap in STEM fields by nurturing talent at every stage.
That passion and vision have earned her a string of accolades. She was named one of Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans in 2020, followed by Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2021 Santam Woman of the Future Awards. In 2022, she was again recognized by Mail & Guardian as a Woman of Power, and last year, Telkom ranked her among the Top Ten Phenomenal Women. In 2023, she added another feather to her cap as the Digital Woman Winner at the prestigious govTech awards.
Yet Mkwanazi is far from resting on her laurels. Recognizing the systemic barriers that continue to hinder women’s progress in STEM careers, she launched GirlCode Talent, an AI-powered recruitment startup designed to transform how companies attract, train, and retain female tech talent.
Her reputation as a thought leader is growing as quickly as the organizations she leads. A sought-after speaker, Mkwanazi has headlined events like the Standard Bank Women in Technology Summit, Africa Women in Tech, and the South African STEM Conference. Her insights have been featured in top tech publications and on local television, where she continues to advocate for inclusivity and innovation.
With each platform she creates, each girl she mentors, and each boardroom she walks into, Zandile Mkwanazi is dismantling old systems and replacing them with something radically inclusive. She isn’t just changing the face of tech in South Africa—she’s changing its future.
