“Every girl has the potential to contribute meaningfully to technology. With the right resources, we can help them unlock opportunities to succeed.” – Zandile Mkwanazi, Founder and CEO of GirlCode.
Zandile Mkwanazi is the Founder and CEO of GirlCode, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young girls and women through technology. Over the past eight years, GirlCode has become South Africa’s largest women-led educational initiative, reaching over 76,000 girls and women. What began as a simple hackathon has now evolved into coding clubs, skills training programmes, and initiatives that help young women find career opportunities in the tech industry.
Mkwanazi has been instrumental in addressing the gender gap in South Africa’s technology sector, which is still largely male-dominated. With a BSc honours degree in computational and applied mathematics from the University of the Witwatersrand, she uses her expertise to provide disadvantaged women with essential computer literacy, coding, and design skills. Her mission is clear: to build a network of women who will use their skills to tackle real-world challenges in their communities.
One of GirlCode’s flagship programmes is the GirlCoder Club, where Zandile Mkwanazi and her team visit high schools on Saturdays to teach coding. This hands-on initiative not only helps students gain valuable digital skills but also connects them with women in tech who serve as mentors. For many, this is the first step toward being recruited by top tech companies.
The program has exceeded my expectations. The staff at GirlCode are extremely friendly and always ready to assist, which is good. My hopes for the future are to grow my skills in the IT industry and see myself growing in whichever company I’m placed in,” says Tsholo Khumalo, a participant in GirlCode’s GirlCoder Club.
Mkwanazi’s work has garnered widespread recognition. In 2020, she was named one of Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans, and in 2021, she was honoured as Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the Santam Women of the Future Awards. She has also spoken at prominent events, such as the Standard Bank Women in Technology Conference and the Africa Women in Tech Conference. She has been featured in several leading tech publications and South African media.
Her focus is on expanding GirlCode’s reach and deepening its impact. She aims to ensure women are well-represented in the tech industry, where their ideas and voices are often underrepresented.
“Technology needs diverse perspectives. Women’s insights are crucial for creating inclusive and sustainable solutions,” Mkwanazi says.
Through GirlCode, Zandile Mkwanazi is making tech education more accessible to young women across South Africa and Africa. By equipping them with the skills and confidence to excel in the workforce, she is helping to build a future where women lead innovation in the tech industry. Her long-term goal is to equip 10 million women and girls with coding and tech skills by 2030.
