In 2018, Kate Makane won second place in the hackathon. She was hungry for opportunity, bright and ready for a challenge. The tech industry didn't come knocking. It took another six years for him to get his shot.
A comprehensive 2024/2025 research report titled “Decoding ICT Demand”, powered by The CollectiveA South African non-profit organization focused on the digital skills ecosystem says there are 118,000 unfilled digital roles in the country, accounting for 37% of vacancies across the sector, of which 41,000 positions are at the junior level. Their data is compiled by analyzing job advertisements from leading platforms such as Pnet and CareerJunction, cross-referenced with data from MICT SETA and StatSA's quarterly labor force survey.
Youth unemployment is 57%. But the country lacks the talent it claims to need, while young people with proven potential are waiting for doors to open.
story of making, getting down further International Girls in ICT Day On April 23, the theme is “AI for Development: Girls shaping the digital future”, highlighting the gap between opportunity and access. She now holds five Salesforce certifications and serves as a volunteer and membership lead Africa ohanaA community supporting tech professionals across the continent. But the path to reach here was completely straight.
six years wait
Makane grew up in a slum, raised by her mother and grandmother. His mother raised four children by working as a domestic servant.
“Being the third youngest, I always felt responsible for my younger sister, who is six years younger than me. That protective instinct shaped my determination and inspired me to create a future where I could support the people I love.”
She also had teachers at school who believed in her when she needed it. His encouragement was the spark that propelled him toward technology. enrolled in the house Tshwane University of Technology to study IT, but due to personal circumstances at the time she could not complete her studies
Coming from a township forced him to be entrepreneurial: “Growing up in that environment taught me responsibility, resilience and the importance of creating opportunities where there were none,” Makane explains.
The hackathon placement confirmed what she already suspected: technology was the way out of poverty. But knowing where you want to go and having the means to get there are two different things. For six years Makane had the ambition but no way to channel his energy.
That's not unusual. Only 13% STEM graduates Women make up 23% of the STEM workforce in South Africa. In ICT leadership, the picture is even bleaker: 5% of CEO positions in South African tech companies are held by women.
a little encouragement
Makane applied in 2024 CapacityA digital career accelerator. She arrived for the interview in flip-flops; They were his only shoes.
And yet, they saw her potential, she says. The program taught him more than just code. Agile methodology, presentation skills, emotional intelligence, practical toolkit that bridges the gap between raw potential and corporate environment. “Understanding how to manage your emotions when you're dealing with different personalities was new to me.”
she gives credit trailhead, Salesforce's free learning platform helps break down complex skills into manageable steps. But technique alone didn't propel him forward: guidance drove him forward.
Gemma Byrne, a VP based in the UK and Ireland, guided Makane during her journey. “She held my hand in those moments when I felt like giving up, reminding me of my worth and my purpose,” Makane says.
plumbing problem
Makane now works at Bluespec Holdings, where she has progressed from IT support to complex projects. But her story raises a question: Why did it take so long for a woman who proved her mettle in 2018 to enter the tech workforce?
South Africa's skills crisis is not just about supply: there is talent in abundance in townships, hackathons and universities, but it provides almost no infrastructure to connect that talent to open positions. Programs like CAPACITI are an exception. For every family that succeeds, how many do not?
As a volunteer and membership lead at Africa Ohana, Makane is trying to widen the pipe by mentoring learners, sharing resources, and working to build the kind of network she didn't have.
“There is talent in Africa, but there isn’t always access,” she says. “The pie is big enough for everyone.”
Why do girls matter in ICT Day?
International Girls in ICT Day There should not be a need. The fact that this happens and is now being seen in more than 170 countries shows that the gap remains.
Women represented globally only 3% of ICT graduates. In sub-Saharan Africa, for every 100 men with digital skills, Only 40 to 44 women Have equal efficiency.
Makane's message to young African women considering tech is: “You don't need to know everything when you start. Just show up and commit.
“Growing up, many people said I couldn't achieve much because I didn't have money. They were partly right. But I had hope and a desire to learn.”
After five certifications, his flip-flops seem a long way off for work days. And yet the system that almost shut him down still has a long way to go.