Eileen Wilton, the CEO of black-owned IT firm Gijima won the Sponsors Leadership Award category at the inaugural Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. By Staff Writer
The selection of the winner of this prize was the prerogative of both the CEOs of MTN SA and Kagiso Media.
The judges said the award was conferred to Wilton in recognition of the role she has played over the years as a source of great inspiration to many young professionals and in recognition of the outstanding work she has done in turning around Gijima.
This inaugural programme is a partnership between MTN SA and Kagiso Media’s – East Coast Radio, Jacaranda and ITWeb Brainstorm.
It is a woman recognition programme that celebrates and recognises the role that women have played towards the growth of the ICT sector in South Africa.
“This initiative reignited the passion I have for this sector and reminded me of the importance of forging ahead with the noble quest of creating an enabling environment that encourages and nurtures women development in this sector,” Mteto Nyati, MTN SA CEO said.
“I can confidently say, without fear of contradiction, that the inaugural Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards have been a roaring success. The event has certainly carved a place for itself as an annual calendar ICT event.”
In May 2016, Gijima declared its turnaround done.
Wilton told Techcentral that the serious financial difficulties that affected the group, which ultimately led to its delisting from the JSE in April 2015, now appear to be behind it. It is profitable on a monthly basis and is poised to make inroads in both the private sector and in government business.
Now Gijima, which is fully-owned by businessman Robert Gumede, is sizing up new growth opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence to grow its business after completing a three-year turnaround programme.
Other winners at the the Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards
Prolific businesswoman, Irene Charnley was named as the winner of the Entrepreneur Recognition Award in the Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. This accolade was bestowed on Charnley in recognition of the viable business she founded, Smile Communications, which is trail-blazing across the continent.
Aisha Mohamed was announced the winner in the Leadership Recognition Award category in the Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. She was presented this accolade in recognition of the proven depth of experience she has showed in leading change, influencing business outcomes and leading teams that impacted positively on the organization she led. Mohamed is the Head of Bouquet 3 at SABC 3 & SABC Encore.
The team of adjudicators selected Stephanie Cowper as the winner of the Innovator Recognition Award. Cowper was honoured for introducing new methods, ideas that are contributing in to the delivery of a bold, new, digital world. Cowper is the Co-founder and CEO of Bespecular.com.
In the Outstanding Woman ICT Professional category, the panel of judges named Zimkhita Buwa as the winner of this category. This award recognises an extraordinary professional who has demonstrated proven results in their area of work within the ICT sector. Buwa is currently an Account Manager at Britehouse.
Another category that was hotly contested is the Community Builder Award. Dianne Broodryk was declared the winner of this category in acknowledgement of the considerable difference she has made in her community through her usage of ICT. Broodryk is the Newscast Editor at Jacaranda 94.2 FM.
The panel of judges was unanimous regarding the important role the media has played in educating the public about the ICT sector. The Excellence in ICT Journalism Award recognizes a journalist who has contributed immensely to creating a better understanding of the ICT industry through their reporting. Thabiso Mochiko was named as the winner in the category. Mochiko is an ICT writer at Business Day/Financial Mail and has written extensively on ICT in her illustrious career.
Sharon Rao Farista from Harvard Business School (2015) was proclaimed as the winner in the Graduate Award category in the Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. The Graduate Award recognises a top ICT graduate from a tertiary institution who finished top of their class. The award was open to females who graduated in the immediate year preceding the awards ceremony.
