As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption rapidly reshapes industries, economies and societies, South African women have been urged to help build the local AI economy and avoid being side-lined.
This was the overarching theme, kick-starting the three-day 2026 Women in Techdigital skills training initiative, hosted at the Huawei South Africa campus in Woodmead, Johannesburg.
Global AI talent representation estimates that 69.5% of AI professionals are male, while 30.5% are female, based on LinkedIn datasets recorded in the latest Stanford University AI Index Report.
While specific AI talent statistics are limited within the South African context, women have historically been underrepresented in the local ICT sector. Statistics show South African women only make up about 23% of the ICT sector’s workforce.
Further, Pnet’s August 2026 Job Market Trends Report, which measures professionals who list AI skills on their profiles, shows that women represent around 32% of professionals listing AI skills, up from 25% three years ago.
The local figures highlight the need for greater female participation, both in the technology development and workforce, especially as AI is increasingly embedded in everyday life.
Inclusive AI
Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, director-general in the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), delivered her keynote address under the theme: “Women, connectivity and AI: Building a digital economy that includes her”.
Jordan-Dyani told this year’s cohort that digital transformation is not only about introducing new technologies, but about improving lives, expanding economic opportunities, increasing productivity and reducing inequality.
As a result, women must be at the centre of South Africa’s digital future, she said. “Women must not be invited into the AI economy after it has already been built but must help build it from the beginning.
“An AI economy that excludes women will not reach its full potential. A digital economy that includes women is not only more equitable, but also stronger, more innovative, more competitive and more resilient.”
Jordan-Dyani noted the participants’ experience as entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, community leaders and problem-solvers is essential to develop technologies that are inclusive and responsive to real-world challenges.
She also encouraged and urged them to use the digital skills training programme to experiment, ask questions, challenge assumptions and network.
“Explore technologies that may seem unfamiliar today but could become essential tools in your businesses tomorrow. Most importantly, commit to taking at least one new capability back into your business. It may be an AI tool that saves time, it may be a cloud platform that expands your reach, or it may be a new approach to analysing customers or improving productivity.
“Every new skill becomes a practical asset when it helps solve a problem, serve a customer better, improve efficiency or open a new market.”
Christina Naidoo, COO, Huawei South Africa, added: “Artificial intelligence is accelerating what is possible. A small business can use AI to understand customers better, improve marketing, analyse information faster, forecast demand or automate work that once took hours.
“Cloud gives businesses access to computing power and services without having to build everything themselves. 5G and reliable connectivity make it possible to work, trade and serve customers from almost anywhere.
“For South African women entrepreneurs, this is a rare opportunity. We do not have to arrive at the end of this technology wave and spend years catching up. We can be part of shaping it from the start.”
Introduced in 2021, the Women in Tech programme is an initiativeis run by Huawei South Africa, in partnership with the DCDT and Henley Business School Africa, supported by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
This year’s edition, themed: “HERabytes: Small business. Big intelligence”, explored how AI and digital technologies can empower women entrepreneurs and professionals to grow, adapt and lead in an increasingly AI-driven economy.
The initiative combines digital skills development, leadership development, practical technology exposure and industry collaboration, to help bridge the gap between access and meaningful participation.
Charles Cheng, deputy CEO of Huawei South Africa, welcomed the 2026 cohort of women entrepreneurs, lauding them for investing in themselves and their businesses.
“We believe that through continued digitisation and intelligence, South Africa has an opportunity to strengthen its position as a leader in Africa’s digital economy and build a more resilient, prosperous and intelligent future.
“Technology has value because of what people can do with it. Innovation becomes meaningful when it creates opportunity, strengthens businesses, and enables more people to participate in the economic possibilities technology creates.”
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