Do you know a female leader, entrepreneur, mentor or rising star making a real impact in SA’s tech industry? Make sure she is nominated for the Wired4Women Awards 2026 by 8 February.
The 2026 Wired4Women Awards programme, now in its third year, is a powerful platform for recognising excellence and advancing gender inclusion in SA’s tech industry.
An initiative of the Wired4Women Forum and ITWeb Brainstorm, supported by Telkom as the lead sponsor, the programme has received a phenomenal response from the ICT community, with hundreds of nominations each year across 13 award categories, demonstrating the breadth and depth of female talent and impact in the tech industry.
How the nominations and selection process works
Anyone may nominate a deserving candidate via the online portal, provided the entry meets the criteria and competition rules.
The judging panel consists of Wired4Women Forum board members, ITWeb’s senior editors, past award winners, academics and other industry experts.
Judges will review all submitted nominations and compile shortlists for each award category. The next phase of the adjudication process includes interviews with shortlisted finalists, after which the judges will select the ultimate winners.
Winners will be announced at the Wired4Women Awards Banquet on 16 April at The Four Seasons Hotel, The Westcliff.
Submit your nominations
The Wired4Women Awards include 13 award categories:
- CIO of the Year
- CISO of the Year
- Tech Business Leader
- Tech Entrepreneur
- Tech Innovator
- Tech for Good
- Channel Achiever of the Year
- Rising Star – Security (≤35 years)
- Rising Star – AI and Data Innovation (≤35 years)
- Rising Star – Coding and Software Development (≤35 years)
- Top Tech Student
- Mentor of the Year
- Trailblazing Career in ICT
Do you know a brilliant female leader or emerging talent making waves in SA’s tech industry? Nominate her for the chance to get the recognition she deserves.
Nominations close on 8 February at 23:59 SAST.
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