30 women entrepreneurs and government leaders have now completed a course in advanced technologies, as part of the Huawei Women in Tech Digital Skills Training Programme. Not only did these tech-curious women get to upgrade their technical knowledge and work on their leadership skills, but they also built strong networks and camaraderie at the first in-person edition of the programme.
Huawei Women in Tech, now in its fourth year, has established itself as a modern incubator that accelerates the progress of tech curious women entrepreneurs, over 300 of whom have participated in the programme since its launch in 2021.
This year the programme diverted from its online origins. In-person lectures drew on senior women managers in two key government departments; the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) and the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, plus ten entrepreneurs, bringing together a vibrant and diverse group of women working in tech roles.
Addressing the closing session, Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, Director General of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, said “many of us work in male-dominated sectors, and I am tired of saying that because the more you speak it, the more it feels like it won’t change. As more cutting-edge technology training focuses on women audiences, we strengthen our ability to transform sectors and help women redefine their own status in the workplace,” she said.
Reflecting on the partnership with the Huawei Women in Tech programme she said, “We recognise the international strength and competitiveness of Huawei. They are a valuable partner in this programme as we figure out how South Africa can learn from the best and build its digital economy,” said Jordan-Dyani.
The two-day training comprised of technical lessons in advanced technologies like cloud computing, 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and their crucial applications in modern businesses. Henley Business School Africa came on board as a partner this year to provide a day of insights about leadership in an era where new technologies are redefining how work is done and how businesses operate.
An introspective day for business and government leaders
Henley Business School Africa’s workshop covered areas like personal mastery, work-life integration and the neuroscience of leadership, all led by esteemed Lecturer and Executive Coach at Henley Business School, Christine Williams.
“The modern businesswoman has to adjust to rapidly developing tech that is redefining productivity while also being effective leaders, which requires guidance on how to get the best out of their teams and themselves,” she said.
Her opening session spoke to the challenges that women face in the workplace, including that they are twice as likely to be mistaken as juniors than men are. Thanks to stats like these “we constantly have to prove ourselves,” said Williams.
Her neuroscience of leadership workshop consisted of a group activity that invited participants to better understand the different components of the brain – from its emotional to its analytical functions.
Williams revealed how different micro behaviours like social or verbal cues in professional settings can trigger parts of the brain that are dominated by emotion and take away from its analytical capabilities.
“The neuroscience of leadership is an effective module for leaders to learn about themselves as well as the people they manage, and how to unlock their full potential,” said Williams.
Tech innovations that inspire organisational change
Huawei’s Cloud computing session came into sharp focus with participants exploring their curiosity around how cloud services can improve their procurement processes and help them manage complex business operations.
Led by Huawei Cloud Senior Solutions Architect, Siphiwe Matore, trainees were shown the technical and cost-saving advantages of a range of cloud solutions with a focus on the unique offering from Huawei’s cloud stack.
During this training, Siphokazi Novukuza from the DCDT reflected that state entities are transitioning to cloud, but they incur unexpected costs in the transition because they are not always fully equipped with the necessary skills.
Matore told participants that Huawei’s business approach incudes helping their partners find cost-effective solutions.
“Huawei’s goal is to partner with organisations, understand their business needs and provide the most suitable architecture to help them. It’s a long-term relationship,” said Matore.
While the training on 5G & AI technologies was technical in nature – a stellar lecture by Nimrod Smit, Marketing Insight Expert at Huawei – brought the knowledge of new technologies home for participants by showing how the tech improves industries like mining.
“5G isn’t just about speed, but about the use cases that it opens for people and business. It also supports the growth of SMEs who can make transactions through fintech platforms on 5G networks,” he said.
On course for creating industry change
Refoe Sofute of CloudNext expressed that “one of the challenges I have as a woman in corporate is code switching to fit into a box of how women are expected to speak, dress and behave. Over and above the technical skills, the Women in Tech programme has helped me understand where people’s biases can stem from and how to navigate them in a professional setting.”
The programme culminated with a certificate ceremony and a final opportunity for further networking among the participants. By all accounts the Huawei Women in Tech, Digital Skills Programme 2024 successfully empowered women in ICT skills as well as their leadership capacities.
“This is a growth-centred initiative. Every year we investigate the most relevant technologies affecting the workplace and the SME environment, so the training is refreshed annually to stay relevant,” said Vanashree Govender, Huawei South Africa’s senior Media and Communications Manager.
The words of the DCDT Director General echo the intention of Huawei Women in Tech. “When you empower women, you empower a society and a community. A programme like this is an opportunity to build South Africa’s almost 300-billion-rand digital economy,” said Jordan-Dyani.
