Author: Gugu Cele

In a country where we pride ourselves on innovation, digital growth, and inclusivity, Black women in technology are still being shut out of spaces they helped create. We, Gugu and Yamandosi Cele, are not only sisters but business partners, technologists, and visionaries born in the small town of Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. We are part of a generation of self-taught Black women who dared to step into tech and AI and then got pushed aside. Our story is not about what we’re missing. It’s about what we’ve already built, and how the very government that should be empowering women like us…

My sister, Yamandosi, and I have always shared a special bond, one that blends our individual strengths into a powerful synergy. Growing up, Yamandosi was always the one with a keen interest in technology. She was fascinated by the latest gadgets, always wanting to know how they worked and how they could be used to make life easier. On the other hand, I’ve always been the curious mind—spending countless hours searching for information on the internet, diving deep into topics that piqued my interest, and never being satisfied until I fully understood something. This combination of our passions and personalities…