South Africa’s ICT Trailblazers Honoured at Inaugural SAICTA Awards Gala

These Awards are about building a culture in which ICT professionals, startups, women in tech and young trailblazers are seen, valued and encouraged to continue making a meaningful contribution to our country in the digital future

South Africa’s ICT Trailblazers Honoured at Inaugural SAICTA Awards Gala

The ICT sector’s brightest stars, pioneering innovators, and influential leaders were honoured at the South African ICT Association’s (SAICTA’s) inaugural ICT Excellence Awards Gala Dinner.

Held at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park, the evening recognised excellence, innovation, leadership and professional contribution within the South African ICT sector. The Awards, which were not just a reflection of recognition, are the start of a new phase in SAICTA’s evolution.

“These Awards are about building a culture in which ICT professionals, startups, women in tech and young trailblazers are seen, valued and encouraged to continue making a meaningful contribution to our country in the digital future,” SAICTA CEO Dr Jannie Zaaiman says.

As the Awards were the first under SAICTA, there were four categories, with winners drawn from the 30 short-listed finalists. “The calibre of submissions has been exceptionally strong. Across all categories, we saw work that is technically excellent, commercially relevant, and socially impactful, says Zaaiman.

An independent panel of judges, comprising Prof. Deborah Oluwadele, Prof. HB Klopper, Prof. Joey Jansen van Vuuren, and Dr Jabu Mtsweni, brought deep expertise across industry, academia, and policy to the evaluation process.

Zaaiman adds that every finalist is actively shaping the country’s digital future. The Startup of the Year and Young ICT Trailblazer categories drew significant excitement on the night, with emerging innovators demonstrating impressive agility in tackling real-world problems.

Our Inaugural Winners

Young ICT Trailblazer: Matshepo Soto

A software engineer at Nedbank, Soto founded the EmpowerHer Tech Foundation and has become a widely recognised voice for women in technology, taking her advocacy for gender equality in tech to international platforms.

Startup of the Year: DB Digital Marketing Agency

Based in Cape Town, DB Digital is a full-service digital marketing agency helping small businesses grow their online presence across South Africa through search-engine optimisation, web design, content marketing, and paid advertising.

Women in Tech Excellence: Dr Makaziwe Makamba

A computer scientist and senior researcher at the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution South Africa (C4IR SA), Dr Makamba holds a PhD in Computer Science from UNISA. The founder of the Rise Science non-profit organisation, she is a committed advocate for women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the power technology can play in addressing poverty and inequality.

ICT Professional of the Year: Jacqui Muller

Muller works across automation, education, and business strategy. A UiPath Most Valued Professional and Director of JPanda Solutions and Tegnika Unlimited, she is also a PhD researcher in automation governance at North-West University and a contributor to global frameworks for responsible technology adoption.

The Women in Tech Excellence Award and Young ICT Trailblazer category reflect SAICTA’s long-term vision of a more inclusive and future-ready ICT sector, while also recognising the importance of creating visible pathways for the next generation of talent entering the industry.

“The achievements recognised in these categories demonstrate that excellence in ICT is not defined by tenure or tradition, but by impact and the ability to solve complex challenges in new ways. South Africa’s digital future depends on giving women and young professionals the platforms to lead. That is a strategic priority, and these Awards reflect it,” says Dr Zaaiman.

The Awards form part of SAICTA’s broader efforts to support skills development, encourage collaboration, and recognise excellence across the ICT sector, while also bridging the gap between ICT professionals, businesses, and higher education institutions through policy advocacy and industry engagement.

“This is the beginning of what we intend to grow into a defining annual moment for ICT in South Africa. We want to celebrate achievement, yes, but we also want to raise the ambition of the entire sector. Together, we are building South Africa’s digital future,” says Dr Zaaiman.

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