This Women’s Month, let us shine a light on a different kind of power: the innovative spirit that builds, solves, codes, and collaborates. Women in tech are no longer knocking on the door; they’re designing and constructing the house of the future.
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This Women’s Month, forget the stereotype of a lone male coder in a hoodie.
Across South Africa and now the rest of the continent, young women are quietly but powerfully rewriting the rules of the tech world, one hack at a time.
From building life-changing apps to strengthening Africa’s cybersecurity future, women in tech aren’t just joining the conversation; they’re leading it.
The rise of the digital sisterhood
In a digital era shaped by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and financial tech (FinTech), a new force is rising: young African women who are coding with purpose. They’re solving everyday challenges from digital banking gaps to healthcare system inefficiencies with skill, speed, and a fierce sense of purpose.
At the centre of this movement is GirlCode, a social enterprise changing the face of African tech through education, empowerment, and community. This October, they’re back with their flagship event: GirlCodeHack 2025, a 30-hour all-women hackathon spread across seven African cities.
“Our mission is to expose 10 million women and girls to technology by 2030,” says Zandile Mkwanazi, founder and CEO of GirlCode. “GirlCodeHack is about more than learning to code; it’s about building a sisterhood of innovators ready to shape the future of Africa.”
At first glance, a tech hackathon might seem like it belongs in the business section. But the link between technology and wellness is more urgent than ever.
Think about it: digital platforms power public health apps, mental health access, maternal care tracking, and even online therapy. And yet, if women are left out of tech creation, so are the unique health needs of half the population.
In short, more women in tech equals more inclusive health innovation.
A study published by UN Women (2024) found that digital solutions designed by women are 3x more likely to focus on community wellness, childcare, women’s health, and education areas traditionally overlooked in male-dominated innovation circles.
This year’s GirlCodeHack takes place on October 11–12, synchronising with the International Day of the Girl Child.
Image: Supplied
Hacking for real change
This year’s GirlCodeHack takes place from October 11 to 12, aligned with International Day of the Girl Child. It’s open to women aged 18 to 35, enrolled in or who have recently graduated from a university or college. Participants will work in teams of two to four, creating tech solutions under the theme:
“Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI.”
With R100,000 up for grabs for the top team and seasoned mentors supporting each group, this isn’t just a competition; it’s a career launchpad.
Thanks to a powerful partnership with Absa, GirlCodeHack is going continental this year, expanding beyond South Africa to include Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Gaborone, alongside Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
For Tamu Dutuma, head of strategy and transformation at Absa, this is more than corporate sponsorship; it’s personal.
“Inclusion isn’t just something we say, it’s something we build,” says Dutuma. “Bringing more women into tech means unlocking innovation that benefits entire communities. That’s why GirlCodeHack is so important: it gives women the tools to lead Africa’s digital transformation.”
There’s an urgency to this mission. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Gender Gap Report, women still hold only 26% of data and AI roles globally, and even fewer in Africa. Yet digital literacy is becoming a fundamental life skill much like nutrition, mental health, or reproductive rights.
Which is why events like GirlCodeHack aren’t just about jobs. They’re about equipping women with digital tools to shape their future, from building tech that monitors pregnancy risk factors to apps that help track mental health in underserved areas.
And in a world where technology is increasingly intertwined with well-being, this kind of empowerment is health activism.
How to join
If you or someone you know fits the profile, here’s how to get involved:
This Women’s Month, let’s spotlight a different kind of power: the kind that builds, solves, codes, and collaborates. Women in tech are no longer knocking on the door; they’re designing the house.
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