Thandiwe Mzezewa

Tech entrepreneur driving African women's participation in Silicon Savannah

Thandiwe Mzezewa (b. 1990) pioneered gender equity in tech through her 2016 launch of TechBra, a pan-African platform connecting women with tech career opportunities. By 2019, her network had placed over 3,000 women in tech roles across 15 countries. Mzezewa's CodeHer initiative provided free coding bootcamps that graduated 500+ women annually, with 80% securing tech jobs. Her partnership with Microsoft established Africa's first women-focused AI incubator. Recognized by Forbes Africa as 2018's Tech Trailblazer, her work reduced gender gaps in Nairobi's tech sector from 78% to 42% male dominance. Mzezewa's TED Talk 'Building Africa's Tech Future with Women' has become a foundational resource in gender studies curricula. Her recent collaboration with UNESCO developed STEM4Her, a continent-wide mentorship network.