A University of Western Cape associate professor has made history by being named on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) list of Young Global Leaders (YGL).
Professor Mmaki Jantjies, 37, is one of the leading South African computer scientists specialising in technology for development.
She is one of only 120 young leaders who have made the cut from thousands of nominations from around the world.
She joins a YGL alumni of 1 400 global members who have since 2004 included Grammy Award and Nobel Prize recipients, UN Goodwill Ambassadors, heads of governments and Fortune 500 companies.
The 120 YGL members have made great strides in the digital field which include how residents can make use of technology to better their lives such as education and health.
“I am incredibly humbled to be named a Young Global Leader for 2022,” the proud professor explains.
“It is an amazing honour and I credit my parents for their influence as they were passionate about mathematics and science and there was never an option for me not to make a positive impact in the South African technology sector.”
Originally from Mafikeng, Jantjies now shuttles between Pretoria and Cape Town while she has completed her degree, PHD and honours in computer sciences at the University of Pretoria, North West University and the University of Warwick in Coventry, England.
The associate professor at UWC was also part of the team that launched the university’s Postgraduate Diplomas in e-Skills Development programme and is currently employed as group executive head of innovation at Telkom.
Jantjies says as a YGL member she can now gain knowledge with other leaders in the digital world and bring those innovations back home to benefit South Africans.