We founded Women in Tech ZA in 2014 with the mission to showcase the women in the tech sector in South Africa. A year later, research we hunted down from the Q2 Labour Force Survey showed that out of the 15 million employed people in the country at the time, 44% were women. Approximately 218 000 or so people were employed in ICT industries, of which 68 859, or 31%, were women. Around 236 000 people held ICT jobs – 56 511, or 23%, of which were women.

In 2023, the stats show that, for the most part, we are losing the gender diversity battle. We’ve been unable to find local statistics (does anyone want to sponsor a research project?). Global stats don’t paint a pretty picture. The World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Report indicates that less than a quarter of global tech leadership positions are held by women. Stats from the US show that the total number of women employed in tech at all levels is about the same – 25%.