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CIO of the year: Tsebeletso Mashau

Any technology leader who thinks that their job just involves managing technology has got it wrong, says Tsebeletso Mashau. The true job of a CIO is value creation, and IT just provides the tools to do that, she believes. “Technology is about value creation in terms of how we are engaging and collaborating with a broader spectrum of colleagues in the business areas and making sure we translate that into meaningful solutions that our clients enjoy.” The clients she’s referring to are the pan-African customers of Standard Bank, where Mashau is both the Africa region CIO and deputy Group CIO for the retail business. Now she has another title: CIO of the Year in the Wired4Women Awards 2026, which she won for her work in leading a team of 1 400 people across the continent.

A mother of three, Mashau is committed to encouraging women to enter the IT space and advance to positions of leadership. As part of that, she leads the Standard Bank Women in Tech forum and uses it to encourage women and give them the opportunity to shine.