Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 Most Influential Women in Tech Africa, with CIO Africa by dx5 once again searching across the continent for women making an impact through technology, innovation, leadership and digital transformation.
Now in its seventh edition, the Most Influential Women in Tech Africa (MIWIT) initiative aims to recognise women whose work is helping shape Africa’s technology ecosystem — from founders and corporate technology executives to policymakers, innovators and community builders.
Nominations are open until 12 October 2026, and women are permitted to nominate themselves.
From East Africa to a continent-wide search
What started as an East African initiative has developed into a Pan-African platform highlighting women working across different parts of the continent.
The 2025 edition featured 45 women from countries including South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Benin and Namibia, illustrating how widely the initiative has expanded.
Among those recognised last year were Rwanda’s ICT Minister Paula Ingabire, Uganda’s ICT Permanent Secretary Dr Aminah Zawedde, and Ada Nduka Oyom, founder of She Code Africa.
The list also highlighted a younger generation of African technology entrepreneurs, including Benin digital-health founder Dr Viviane Oke, who at 23 was the youngest woman featured.
Who qualifies for the 2026 list?
The 2026 search goes beyond job titles or public visibility.
According to the nomination criteria, candidates will be considered for their leadership and strategic direction, digital footprint and industry engagement, ability to drive innovation, mentorship, contribution to Africa’s ICT sector and recent professional milestones.
Organisers are particularly interested in achievements recorded between September 2025 and September 2026, including major projects, promotions, awards and other measurable contributions to the technology industry.
That means the initiative could recognise women working across areas ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to fintech, digital transformation, policy, entrepreneurship and technology education.
Africa’s changing technology landscape
The nominations arrive during a period of rapid technological change across the continent.
CIO Africa points to the growing adoption of artificial intelligence, increasing government involvement in technology regulation and greater scrutiny from company boards over the business value generated by technology investments as some of the defining developments of 2026.
Against that backdrop, MIWIT aims to make the contributions of women participating in those developments more visible.
Importantly, the initiative is not exclusively searching for already prominent executives. Organisers say they also want to identify women producing significant work away from the public spotlight.
Leadership, innovation and mentorship matter
The criteria also place considerable emphasis on what nominees are doing for the people coming behind them.
Candidates can demonstrate impact by showing how they have mentored and supported the next generation of technology professionals, introduced innovative ideas, contributed to digital transformation or helped shape technology strategy and policy in Africa.
Nominations should therefore include specific evidence of impact rather than general praise. CIO Africa is encouraging submissions containing measurable results, launches and supporting links that demonstrate what a nominee achieved and what changed as a result of her work.
Nominations close in October
Women can be nominated by colleagues, peers and members of the wider technology community, while self-nominations are also accepted.
The nomination form requires detailed responses explaining a candidate’s impact, with supporting documents also welcomed. The closing date is 12 October 2026.
