10/08/2026
On 9 August 1956, around 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings. Every National Women's Day since has asked the same question in a new decade: what are we actually doing about it?
For SA businesses, that question increasingly shows up in tech and IT teams — still one of the more male-skewed corners of the workforce. 5 practical ways employers can champion women in tech, not just post about it once a year:
• Sponsor, don't just mentor — actively advocate for promotion and visibility, not only guidance.
• Open technical upskilling to everyone — including women in non-technical roles who rarely get asked.
• Build flexible policies that assume people have a life outside the office, and normalise using them.
• Put women in front of clients and on panels, not just in delivery roles behind the scenes.
• Ask, don't assume — a short, honest pulse check beats a guess every time.
Which of these does your business already do well, and which is still a work in progress?