Lindiwe Matlhape

A South African entrepreneur who founded the first women-led tech incubator in Africa, empowering over 1,000 female innovators.

Lindiwe Matlhape is a visionary entrepreneur born in 1975 who transformed South Africa's tech landscape. In 2002, she co-founded Women in AI, the continent's first incubator dedicated to supporting female artificial intelligence innovators. Her initiative has trained over 1,200 women in machine learning and data science, with 70% of graduates launching tech ventures.

Matlhape's African Innovation Hub program provides seed funding and mentorship to female founders, resulting in startups like AgriTech Solutions and HealthNetAI. She pioneered the Gender Dividends framework, which quantifies the economic impact of gender-inclusive tech ecosystems. This model has been adopted by UN Women and the World Bank.

Her advocacy led to the 2018 African Union's Gender Policy, mandating 30% female representation in tech boards. Matlhape's TEDx Talk "Why Africa's Future is Fueled by Women in Tech" has been translated into 12 languages. She advises global corporations like Microsoft and Google on inclusive tech policies.