#mediasnippet✂️ [The Patriot Woman Magazine Jul-Sep '24] Women and Girls in Tech in Botswana

It was a privilege to be featured in the July- September 2024 edition of The Patriot Woman Magazine. My story and insights on tech were in the "Bridging the Digital Divide" section. Read a brief snippet of the article here, buy in-store for the rest and other stories about women making waves in BW.

>>Written by Logago Tamocha

NOMSA Makgabenyana, Co-founder of Seriti Insights- a cutting-edge solutions

company in big data analytics and AI aims to empower businesses in Botswana by unlocking the potential of their data.

Her journey through Botswana's tech landscape sheds light on the hurdles and opportunities faced by women and girls in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and digitization. Makgabenyana's path from a dissatisfied employee to a pioneering entrepreneur is a story of determination and visionary thinking.

A VISIONARY DEPARTURE

"At my first job, I found myself feeling deeply dissatisfied with the 'state of tech' that I found in that organisation," she recalls.

Her frustration with the stagnant state of technological engagement prompted her to leave and establish a company aligned with, vision. This bold move was driven by a growing desire to help companies in Botswana harness the power of big data.

FACING GENDER DISPARITIES

The tech world, predominantly male, presented its own set of challenges.

"Walking into meetings and pitches and being the only woman in the room used to make me freeze," Makgabenyana admits.

Yet, through support from coaches, especially her mother, a professional coach, she learned to assert herself. "My mind, knowledge, and expertise are at the forefront of what I have to offer," she confidently states.

Makgabenyana emphasizes the importance of support structures for women in tech."We still have several years until we can say we have concrete support structures for women in tech", she notes. Without these, the journey can be arduous, particularly in the business aspects of technology.

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VISIBILITY AND MENTORSHIP 

Increasing the participation of girls in STEM fields is another area where Makgabenyana sees room for improvement. "Girls need to see more girls participating in STEM," she stresses. Media visibility and structured mentorship programmes supported by the private sector could play a crucial role in this endeavour. Such programmes not only inspire but also provide a talent pool for companies to draw from.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE GOALS

Despite the challenges, Seriti Insights has seen notable successes.

Being finalists in the Southern Africa Startup Awards and securing funding from The Japan International Cooperation via the Ninja Japan challenge are among the highlights. Makgabenyana's ultimate goal is a successful exit, crediting this to the hard work invested in developing their SaaS, seipone.ai. Individually, she envisions contributing to AI development in Africa, focusing on responsible and human-centred AI. "This is a goal which I am currently committed to at the moment," she shares.

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More of my take on Lagging 4IR and Advice for Aspiring Women in Tech in the physical copy!