Meet Woman Tech Entrepreneur who Uses Innovation to Empower Girls Through Coding & Business
- A technology entrepreneur residing in Cape Town is doing the absolute most to empower Mzansi ladies through innovation and coding
- Thoko Miya uses her influence to help females who are interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
- The young lady has always been interested in innovation and says that her mother inspired her to take on the industry
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A young technology entrepreneur residing in Cape Town is dead-set on empowering girls and young women through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Source: Instagram
Thoko Miya is involved with many initiatives in the field of innovation and says that she’s loved technology and coding since she was very young.
Speaking to Briefly News in an Instagram live interview, the 29-year-old reflects on some of her projects and highlights how she uses her roles to inspire young women.
Thoko was inspired by her mom to take on a career in STEM
The Cape Town resident notes that her mother, Baratang Miya, who is the founder of a non-profit organisation (NPO) that teaches girls to code, motivated her to achieve great things:
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“My mom founded GirlHype, which is now called Africa Girls Code, in 2003, with the aim of bridging the digital divide by teaching coding to girls and young women.
“I was always a bit of a geek and would tag along with my mom. One of my proudest moments was when I actually created my own website using HTML at the age of 10 or 11.”
Since then, Thoko has been working hard to make her mark in the technological sector, joining Africa Girls Code in 2014.
The young lady currently functions as a project manager at the NPO, while juggling her Master of Public Relations and Communication Management degree at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and running various other projects:
“I am a shareholder, an investor, entrepreneurship pipeline developer, and an ecosystem builder in the industry."
Briefly News previously wrote about Thoko’s involvement with the NPO and how she uses coding to get more young ladies involved in STEM careers.
The good sis also has her own business called Start-Up Thoko, which runs programs for people who are at various stages of their entrepreneurship journeys:
“We are an ecosystem of networkers, collaborators, and investors, and together we build businesses. I run this project in collaboration with Absa and Standard Bank and two consulting firms.”
Thoko notes that one of the biggest challenges she faces in the field of technology and entrepreneurship is navigating the largely male-dominated sector:
“It’s so important for us to have more women penetrating these markets, which men still saturate.
“One of the ways this can be done is through mentoring young women and introducing them to people who are game-changers in the tech industry who can help them realise their vision.”
Source: UGC
The young innovator has also been honoured with various awards and accolades.
She won the Fab Woman Awards in 2019, which honours ladies doing fantastic work in their communities, and has been nominated for the Inspiring Fifty awards in 2022, among others.
However, Thoko explains that because of her love of the field she works in, it is her passion for the industry that keeps her going, not the awards.
The stunner notes that if ladies want to take on careers in STEM, hard work, resilience, and determination are key:
“Life’s about passion, so if you’re driven and put in your 10 000 hours towards your dream, you will be successful.”
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Social media user @segatiroo shared her aspirations on Twitter, making it known that she is giving it her all. The beautiful woman inspired many with her vibe and was showered with major love and support from peeps.
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Source: Briefly News
Kauthar Gool (Women Empowerment Editor) Kauthar Gool has been the Women Empowerment Editor at Briefly News since 2022. She holds a Master of Public Relations and Communication Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) (2022) and a Bachelor of Technology in Journalism from CPUT (2019). She has worked at the Fundza Literacy Trust, ITWeb, YOU Magazine, and Cape Argus. She is currently furthering her education in journalism at Stellenbosch University. Reach her at: kauthar.gool@briefly.co.za
Shazia Kassim Shazia Kassim is the community manager at Briefly News who joined the team in February 2022. She assists with imports. She studied Digital Marketing at DSM and gained her experience through internships and jobs in the field. Shazia is passionate about marketing and assisting brand's with reaching their marketing objectives. She recently developed an interest in writing and storytelling. Shazia tests her creativity through writing and the ability to create a visual idea through text.
