Midweek Check-In: Where Are the Women in African Tech Leadership?
...and please don’t say HR 🫠
Hi-ya, Dear Innovator 👋
May is almost over…
Alsoooo, come closer and let’s be real for a second: Where are all the women in tech? Be honest—how often do you come across a female CTO at an African tech company?
Shoutout to the many bootcamps and communities (like SheCodesAfrica, Ingressive For Good (I4G), and even X tech spaces) that have helped more women break into tech, especially at the entry level.
But here’s the thing: when it’s time to check the org chart at mid to senior levels, suddenly… the female names dwindle drastically, especially when you move past HR, comms, or community roles.
Why? 🙃
Where are the women heading product, engineering, growth, strategy, or even CEO roles?
Here’s some data to chew on:
According to Disrupt Africa’s 2024 Diversity Dividend report, only 11.1% of African tech companies are led by female CEOs, and just 17.3% have at least one female co-founder
So, what’s stopping the pipeline? 👀 It usually comes down to three things:
Unconscious bias (women often get boxed into 'soft skill' roles).
Lack of mentorship in core tech leadership roles like CTO, CPO, or Head of DevOps.
And lastly, workplace culture that doesn’t support motherhood or speaking up without being labelled “emotional”
Dear Innovator, is this also an issue in your tech company? Plan on fixing it? 🤔
Tech Ecosystem Updates
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the Dubai World Trade Center to host the world’s largest tech fair, GITEX, for the first time in Nigeria.
This event is billed to be held in September this year. Click the headline for more!
KPIT Technologies, an Indian tech company, just opened a new tech centre in Sfax, Tunisia. The company’s new facility will focus on developing propulsion software, vehicle network technology, and other mobility solutions.
Click the headline for the deets!
Did You Miss This…?
How structured should your tech company be? Read the full newsletter here!
The Innovator’s Watchlist:
Dear Innovator, when you’re ready to take a breather from your daily grind, here are some weekend must-sees that are perfect for you!👇
1) On Amazon Prime Video: The Creator 🎬
Set in the year 2070, this sci-fi thriller explores a future where humans are at war with AI.
2) On Apple Podcasts: The Flip 🎧
Hosted by Justin Norman, The Flip is a narrative podcast exploring contextually relevant innovation across Africa—from fintech and edtech to decentralised systems and digital identity.
Tech News For You:
By 20235, digital payments will power Africa’s $1 trillion cross-border market, Oui Capital says. Find out all about it here.
Only two Nigerian startups make Bloomberg’s 2025 tech watchlist
Here are 5 myths about African fintech that are holding investors back. Which ones apply to you? 🤔