17/08/2026
Women in STEM: Women’s Day Celebration
On Thursday, 13 August 2026, TechnoAfrika, in partnership with Ntombizimele, hosted a meaningful and inspiring Women in STEM Women’s Day Celebration at the TechnoAfrika Discovery Centre in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
The event was held in commemoration of Women’s Day and National Science Month, bringing together women from diverse STEM, professional, cultural and community backgrounds to celebrate, connect and reflect on how we can create stronger pathways for the next generation.
The gathering created space for science engagement, mentorship, networking and powerful conversations around the role of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
We were honoured to host an inspiring panel of women contributing to STEM, education, technology and engineering:
✔Prof. Patricia Gouws
Academic in Computing, Robotics and STEM Education at UNISA, FIRST South Africa LEGO League, with expertise in computing, programming, robotics and community engagement.
✔Nomusa Keninda
e-Learning Specialist and Founder of the Mpumalanga ICT Club, advocating for digital skills, coding, robotics and mentorship opportunities for young girls in STEM.
✔Zanele Mpanza
Industrial Engineer and Lecturer at UNISA, with interests in engineering, mathematical modelling, simulation, operational research, systems engineering and AI.
A special thank you to Ntombizimele, who played a leading role in hosting this event, and to its founder Maureen Nyaka, whose vision helped shape the gathering into more than a celebration. It became a platform for building a community of women committed to opening doors and creating opportunities.
As Maureen reflected:
“We have started building a community of powerful women who are willing to open doors, share their knowledge and help create opportunities for the next generation.”
Thank you to our speakers, partners, collaborators and every woman who joined us.
Together, we are building a future where more young people can see themselves in STEM.