Asides equipping women with digital and deep tech skills to bridge the gender divide within the technology ecosystems, one of the major objectives of the Women Techsters initiative is to help these women access decent work and gain financial independence and stability.

Recently, one of the Women Techsters Fellows from South Africa, Jessica Mfisa Tebogo, secured an internship with a tech firm in South Africa. We are excited about this development and are encouraged to keep creating opportunities for people to learn and acquire skills that will take them one step closer towards financial inclusion. In a conversation with Jessica, she shared with us how she got into the Fellowship, her learning experience so far, and an encouraging word for young women like her.

Read the excerpt below.

• Can you tell us your full name and a little about your educational background? My name is Tebogo Jessica Mfisa, a Women Techsters Fellow from South Africa, and I have a Higher Certificate in Management, Bachelor Degree of Commerce in Law.

• How did you learn about the Women Techsters Fellowship? I learned about the Women Techsters Fellowship program through a Twitter post made by OpportunityDesk.


• What learning track did you enroll in? I chose the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence learning track.


• How has your learning experience been so far? I would like to describe my learning experience as challenging and gratifying. Challenging because daily, I am being introduced to new concepts. Although this is exciting, it takes a lot of getting used to. Gratifying because of the assignments and mini-projects we have done, I have become gradually more confident in the subject matter.


• What impact has the Women Techsters Fellowship had on you? The Women Techsters Fellowship has changed my life. This statement might sound cliche but, I would explain. I have been considering getting into tech for a long time, but I have been held back by fears of being stuck and overwhelmed by foreign tech concepts.

  However, being a beneficiary of the Women Techsters Initiative has encouraged me and has equipped me with the skills required to enter the industry. I am a lot more confident than I used to be, and now, I have landed an internship in my desired field. I believe this opportunity would set me up for even more opportunities that would help me reach my career goals.



• Are there any challenges you've faced in the course of your training so far? The whole Virtual learning experience has been so new to me, but fortunately for me, there has been tremendous support from the facilitators and my co-Fellows. Also, revisions, assignments, and mini-projects have provided opportunities for us to practice what we have learned, making it easier to understand.

  Another challenge is the cost of internet subscription. The price of an internet subscription is relatively high here in South Africa. Although I'm lucky to have constant access to the internet, there have been many times when it has posed a challenge.

  I believe that if I can complete this program, it would be a fantastic feat. After this, I can also beat my chest and say I kickstarted my tech career in a pandemic

• Do you have any advice for other young ladies seeking to go into tech? I would like to encourage young ladies to take bold steps and actively take advantage of opportunities around them. I believe that if they are willing to put in the work, the rewards will come. Tech is not as difficult as it is represented. It is also more accessible than we think.

  There is indeed a noticeable gender gap in the tech world, but the world is fast evolving. As a resultTech4Dev and other similar initiatives are working tirelessly to bridge that gap. I am a testament to this, so can you.

Congratulations, Jessica! We wish you all the best even as you begin this new phase in your career.

About the Women Techsters Fellowship:

The Women Techsters Fellowship is one of the programs under the Women Techsters Initiative. It is a year-long learning program delivered through 4 months of intensive training, a 6-month internship and enrolment into a mentorship program, to equip women with skills to build tech careers and tech-enabled businesses. For the next ten years, multiple cohorts will be executed over a 12-month timeline using standardized learning curriculums across five learning tracks.