The WIIT Committee
Thenzie Stewart
Chairperson
She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology. She has a robust portfolio of certifications in Software Development, Project Management, COBIT, Business Analysis, and IT Service Management. She has also completed senior and executive leadership programmes at the University of Pretoria and Wits Business School.
Her leadership roles at various public and private organisations have equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of technology strategy, digital transformation, and IT procurement.
A passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, Thenzie believes in encouraging young female professionals to pursue careers in STEM with a key focus in technology. She is committed to community work and the promotion of technology for societal benefit.
As the new Women in IT Chapter Chair of the IITPSA, Thenzie envisions inspiring and empowering female professionals in STEM, with a particular focus on technology. She aims to foster an inclusive community that champions women’s advancement in IT, leveraging her extensive digital transformation experience to drive impactful initiatives. Thenzie is dedicated to ensuring that every woman in IT has the support and opportunities needed to thrive and succeed.
Ashleigh Mabaire
Vice-Chairperson
Ashleigh Mabiare is a Junior Software Engineer and was one of the finalists for the Dynamism in ICT Youth award during the IITPSA President’s awards 2023.
She holds a BSc in Information Technology, majoring in Computer Science and Informatics from the University of Johannesburg.
She was a member of the UJenius club, and she ranked in the top 10 for a majority of her majors. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
In addition to serving as the Deputy Chair of the IITPSA WIIT Chapter, she is also the Treasurer of the Gauteng chapter.
Ashleigh is not only dedicated to personal growth but also to fostering the growth of others, and mentors students who are studying IT and are aspiring to be IT professionals. Beyond academia, she has embraced the realm of social media, creating fun, educational, and relatable IT content on her platforms.
Delight Musariri
Events Co-ordinator
She currently works as a Digital Developer for a firm specialising in financial, digital, sustainability, and stakeholder reporting. She is committed to continuous learning and staying abreast of emerging technologies to ensure cutting-edge development practices.
Passionate about empowering and motivating girls to pursue careers in IT, she is actively involved in community initiatives and mentorship programmes aimed at fostering interest and skills in technology.
Denise Mukozho
Secretary
She holds a Master of Commerce in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town, complemented by 10 years of industry experience and her ongoing pursuit of cloud certifications.
Her expertise encompasses Business Analysis, Data Analysis, System Analysis, Data Management, Risk Management, Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Business Intelligence. Proficient in Agile methodologies (SAFe, Scrum, Kanban) and Prince2 Delivery, she is also a certified Professional Scrum Master.
Denise’s academic contributions include a master’s thesis and a peer-reviewed paper for the International Conference on Information Systems, both addressing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s impact on Business Analysis skills. She has also published practical guidance on integrating Agile methodologies in work environments, developed a widely adopted career pathway and skills matrix for junior analysts, and successfully mentored Business Consulting interns.
Nothando Majozi
Events Co-ordinator
Nothando Majozi is the Operations Manager at Tech Society. She also works as the Campus Executive for SWEEP, a nonprofit organisation based at the Westville campus of UKZN, which works to empower women in higher education.
Nothando also organises the Women in Games events in Durban. She and her team won third place in the 2023 WGJ – “Women Game Jam Africa”, and she was also chosen to be a part of the worldwide AIDEV initiative, which aims to use technology to address urgent global issues listed in the UN SDGs.
Passionate about technology since she was a member of Trinity House High School’s Robotics Club, she has been involved in the McKinsey Forward Programme and has numerous certifications from Fortinet.
Pearl Pasi
With over 15 years of rich industry experience, she holds a BSc Honours Degree in Information Systems and a B.Phil. in Knowledge Management from Stellenbosch University. Additionally, she has acquired several IT certifications in Microsoft and Project Management, reflecting her commitment to staying abreast of industry advancements. Recently, Pearl expanded her skill set by completing a Compliance Management programme and Data Analysis programme with the University of Cape Town and is currently pursuing an MBA at Regenesys Business School.
Pearl is deeply involved in social initiatives aimed at uplifting disadvantaged communities, particularly focusing on the empowerment of young girls. As a director for the Dream Factory organisation, she actively contributes to its mission of providing education and opportunities to youth across Africa.
Prof. Kerry-Lynn Thomson
Treasurer
She is a Professional Member of the IITPSA, Chair of the IITPSA SIGCyber and an IITPSA committee member for the Eastern Cape Chapter. She is also a senior instructor in the Cisco Networking Academy Programme at the Nelson Mandela University Cisco Academy.
Her research focus is interdisciplinary and includes cybersecurity, cybersecurity awareness and education, corporate culture and the human aspects of information assurance.
Prof Lynn Futcher
As a Professional Member of the IITPSA, she is actively involved as a non-executive board director, a long-standing member of the Eastern Cape and Women in IT Chapters, and an active member of the IITPSA Cybersecurity Special Interest Group (SIGCyber).
In January 2024 she was appointed as the South African Representative to the IFIP Technical Committee 11 (TC11) which focuses on security and privacy protection in information processing systems. She is also the Working Group coordinator for IFIP TC11.
Her primary areas of research include information and cybersecurity education and secure software development. She is passionate about addressing the cybersecurity skills gap in South Africa and bridging the gap between academia and industry, primarily through integrating cybersecurity into computing curricula at South African universities.
Rujeko Macheka Madzinga
She also holds multiple certifications, including IBM Cybersecurity-Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Forensics; IBM Cybersecurity-Cyber threat intelligence; IBM Cybersecurity-Cybersecurity Compliance Framework & System Administration; IBM Cybersecurity-Cybersecurity Roles, Processes & Operating System Security Published; and KnowBe4 Cybersecurity awareness trainer.
Senele Goba
Senele Goba is a founder and director at 4IR Innovations (Pty) Ltd, which specialises in Industrial Automation, Technology Innovation and Educational Technology and Computer Science education.
She is also the founder of Ososayensi Education Advancement, a community development NPC which exposes young learners in under-served communities to STEM. She has implemented STEMpowerment programmes in various peri-urban and rural parts of Kwazulu-Natal and Eastern Cape as well as programmes to introduce educators to coding and robotics.
She holds an Honours degree in Computer Science and a Certificate for Strategic Integration of Technology in Education, and is currently studying towards an Executive MBA with Quantic School of Business and Leadership.
She has worked in the Food and Beverage industry for 14 years in Control & Automation and Manufacturing Systems Management. She completed a Management Development Programme and led successful Business Improvement Programmes to reduce losses and improve efficiencies.
She serves as President and Chairperson of the IITPSA board, and as a deputy chairperson of its KZN Chapter.
Senele is a TechWomen Fellow and was among 108 women selected as Emerging Leaders in STEM globally as part of the TechWomen 2020-2021 programme in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, USA. She was also named one of 50 most inspiring South African women in STEM by CoCreateSANL in 2020.