South Africa’s ICT sector, worth more than R250 billion annually, continues to grapple with a gender gap that sees women making up just 21% of the workforce, according to the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa.
Against this backdrop, ICT entrepreneur Nomphomelelo “Mpumi” Mahlangu is positioning her company — and her leadership — as part of the solution.
Mahlangu, founder and Managing Director of Synergy Trading & Projects, has spent two decades in the industry, leading large-scale network and infrastructure projects at Vodacom, Sentech, Nokia and Liquid Intelligent Technologies. At Nokia she oversaw operations valued at more than R1 billion, while at Liquid she contributed to broadband expansion initiatives across South Africa.
“When women take their rightful seat at the table in ICT and telecommunications, we don’t just change boardroom dynamics — we change the trajectory of entire industries,” Mahlangu says. “Lifting others as I rise is not charity — it is strategy. We build resilient industries when leadership is inclusive.”
Founded in 2015, Synergy Trading & Projects is one of the country’s few 100% black female-owned ICT firms. It has built a track record in systems integration, network services, energy solutions and managed ICT support, and has received industry recognition, including the ED Pinnacle Award for business growth. But Mahlangu stresses that the company’s value lies as much in opportunity creation as in contracts delivered.
Through structured mentorship programmes, she has supported young engineers and entrepreneurs, particularly women, many of whom have gone on to start ICT firms of their own or assume senior roles in major telecoms companies.
Global studies highlight the urgency of such interventions. The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report shows women in South Africa remain 14% less likely than men to use mobile internet, while the International Telecommunication Union has warned that bridging digital inequalities is one of the defining development challenges of the decade.
Synergy’s model — aligning business growth with mentorship and supplier development — is Mahlangu’s practical response to these challenges. “We are no longer asking for inclusion,” she reflects. “We are creating ecosystems where the presence of women in ICT is not remarkable, but normal.”
Her influence extends beyond her business. She serves as a non-executive director at Motheo Construction Group and VIT Academy and has been profiled by the Gordon Institute of Business Science for her role in driving inclusive business growth.