The estimated share of the workforce taken up by women in the STEM sectors globally is 28.2%, says the World Economic Forum. It is a number that has grown by a whole 2.1% since 2016. Meanwhile, the technology sector keeps talking about its skills deficit as it overlooks a significantly untapped talent pool.

Closing this gap makes commercial sense, but the question comes down to how to achieve this sustainably. Metacom has treated this gap as a commercial decision, running a structured programme through the Metacom Foundation, designed to build the next generation of female technologists in a way that ensures they can lean in to their strategic and tactical value. 

The model rests on three components that run at the same time rather than in sequence across a bursary, internship and ongoing mentorship. Treating these components as elements that run in parallel rather than staged is deliberate, as within a single academic year, a student is supported financially, exposed to the working environment and mentored throughout their experience. The bursary carries no work-back clause while covering full tuition, books, a laptop, accommodation, meal and transport allowances along with a monthly stipend. 

(Left to right: Cara van Niekerk - Chairperson of the Metacom Foundation; Gabriel Weiner - Intermediate Embedded Software Engineer; Mmaphefo Vanessa Makgae -Foundation Student; Noluthando Sibaya - Foundation Student; Nolitha Ndalasi - Trustee of the Metacom Foundation; Réan van Niekerk - Metacom Chairman & CEO; Iman Abdurahman - Foundation Student) 

“The goal is to remove the pressure of finances so a student can put her full energy into studying,” says Cara van Niekerk, Chairperson of the Metacom Foundation. “The internship runs for about three weeks over the June and July holidays, and students work as a team on a live project that benefits both the business and their own development.”

The programme gives the students something most graduates lack – real experience in a working environment under a manager with a service delivery deadline. Mentorship is managed by a recent BSc Computer Science graduate from Stellenbosch University, Gabriel Weiner, Intermediate Embedded Software Engineer, who checks in with the students regularly and runs the internships in person. His hands-on approach ensures that people don’t slip out of the programme by addressing anything they may be struggling with early on. 

“Attitude counts more than academics,” says van Niekerk. “One of our students chose to prioritise cybersecurity after hearing about a fraud incident at her father’s workplace; another taught herself electronics with a neighbour who built components in his garage. These are genuinely passionate women who recognise the value of technology.”

Kwanele Mnculwane, whose bursary cleared her tuition balances carried over from her previous studies, is now an electrical engineer after joining the Metacom Foundation as a graduate in 2025. “The Foundation instilled confidence in me and reinforced the belief that young women can thrive in technical fields,” she says. “My younger sister has also now chosen a career in engineering.”

For Metacom’s leaders, the commercial case is very simple. “The most successful leaders are those who can combine strong interpersonal skills and technology capability,” says Zayaan Clarke, Head of People and Culture at Metacom. For Clarke, the value women bring is a leadership one rather than a headcount statistic. “Technology will keep changing how the business operates, but the capacity to inspire people and build trust separates strong leaders from the rest.”

Zayaan Clarke, Head of People and Culture at Metacom

Clarke joined in a combined HR and personal assistant role, identified gaps in the company's people practices and progressed to senior management over 17 years. Silke Engelbrecht, Finance Manager at Metacom, has spent ten years building the finance function, leading system implementation and automation projects that determine how the business runs.

Silke Engelbrecht, Finance Manager at Metacom

“Finance is more than reporting numbers and finance leaders need to help people make better decisions,” she says. “The pace of technological change is the real test of leadership, and right now, AI, business intelligence and automation should be embraced rather than feared.”

Both leaders believe that high performance and kindness can exist simultaneously. “You can hold people accountable and drive strong results while treating people with fairness and empathy,” says Engelbrecht. The blueprint, then, is not only about moving women into technology but about recognising what they contribute once they are there. Engelbrecht is direct, saying that being a woman should never become a limitation a woman places on herself, because her ideas, contribution and leadership are as valuable as anyone else's.

Clarke frames it as an invitation the industry still needs to extend. “Don't be afraid to take your seat at the table. Your perspective, leadership and contribution are needed in shaping the future of corporate South Africa,” she says. For a sector short on skills, that seat is a commercial advantage.