Nominations for the Wired4Women Awards 2026 are now open, and SA’s ICT community is urged to have its say and nominate female tech stars who deserve recognition.
One of the key categories is Top Tech Entrepreneur, sponsored by Vaxowave.
The Wired4Women Awards were introduced in 2024 by the Wired4Women Forum, in partnership with ITWeb Brainstorm and Telkom, to highlight and celebrate the achievements of outstanding women across SA’s tech industry – ranging from CIOs and leaders of technology companies to entrepreneurs and founders of innovative, technology-driven businesses.
Kume Luvhani, executive director and co-founder of Vaxowave and a member of the Wired4Women board, is an exceptional entrepreneur herself. For the third year running, she will lend her expertise to the judging process to help select SA’s top female tech entrepreneur.
“At Vaxowave, we are committed to empowering innovation and celebrating the achievements of women driving meaningful change in the tech industry and broader society,” says Luvhani. “As this award continues to grow in prestige, we look forward to spotlighting and supporting even more bold, high-impact women founders.”
The Top Tech Entrepreneur award recognises an entrepreneur who has established a sustainable, technology-driven business and can demonstrate the ability to:
• Identify and capitalise on untapped niches.
• Turn ideas into reality, securing buy-in and funding.
• Achieve measurable milestones and business growth.
Previous winners
The winner of the Tech Entrepreneur award in 2024 was Gabi Immelman, founder and CEO of global edtech start-up Mindjoy. The platform uses AI-powered tutors and simulations to accelerate STEM education.
“I believe we’re addressing one of the most pressing global challenges: education,” said Immelman. “With 70% youth unemployment, we need to cultivate the brightest minds in science, engineering and mathematics. That starts with great education and building a talent pipeline.”
In 2025, the top entrepreneur accolade went to Anna Collard, SVP of content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa.
“Winning the Wired4Women Tech Entrepreneur Award is a deeply meaningful recognition for me – not just for the work, but for the why behind it. It affirms that when you build something guided by purpose, addressing human needs and not just technical ones, it can be recognised,” said Collard. “What really stood out was being surrounded by such an inspiring network of purpose-driven women, all using technology to uplift and create real impact.
“Huge thanks to the organisers for creating this platform, because visibility matters. When you see it, you can be it. By sharing our stories, we’re helping to shape a more inclusive and courageous future for the next generation of change-makers in tech.”
Collard has also joined the 2026 Wired4women Tech Entrepreneur judging panel.
Call for nominations
ITWeb and Vaxowave encourage female tech entrepreneurs to step forward and submit their entries. The companies are also calling on the South African tech community to submit nominations.
In addition to Top Tech Entrepreneur, there are 12 other award categories. Review the award criteria and submit your nominations for outstanding women in SA’s tech industry by 8 February.
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