VerifiedWomen in IT (WIIT), founded in 2005, is the dedicated women’s chapter of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA), the country’s foremost professional body for ICT practitioners. WIIT exists to ensure that women at every stage of their technology careers have the community, opportunities and platforms they need to grow and lead.
- Registered name
- Women in IT (WIIT), chapter of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA)
- Type
- Professional chapter (women in ICT)
- Fields funded
- ICT-related degrees, diplomas and certificates
- Website
- womeninit.org.za
Why WIIT exists
Women remain a small minority in South African technology. The provider record, checked in August 2026, notes that women make up only about 13% of STEM graduates in South Africa, well below a global average of about 35%, and under 40% of employees in the local ICT sector. WIIT’s mission is to advance women’s participation, growth and leadership in ICT, in service of an industry that reflects the country’s diversity.
What WIIT offers
WIIT runs a year-round programme of workshops, webinars and practical training, structured mentor-mentee programmes across career stages, and panel discussions, networking breakfasts and community roundtables. WIIT also acts as a collective voice for gender equity, transformation and representation in South African ICT. WIIT membership is included with IITPSA membership.
WIIT’s members describe the impact in personal terms: one says WIIT gave her the confidence to take a leadership role, and another first attended a WIIT event as a student and now leads digital transformation at a bank.
The WIIT bursary programme
WIIT’s Bursary Programme provides financial support to women pursuing formal ICT qualifications, whether a degree, diploma or certificate, at recognised South African institutions. Applicants must show financial need and academic merit, and must not already hold another bursary covering the same expenses. WIIT awards bursaries subject to available funding at the discretion of its bursary committee, and previous recipients may reapply. WIIT does not attach a work-back obligation.
WIIT’s bursary page listed the minimum average as still to be announced when BursariesAfrica checked. BursariesAfrica’s earlier guide recorded a final-year award of R20 000 to R30 000 in a round that closed on 30 October 2021, and noted that the bursary had helped 14 women finish their studies since 2005.
How to research WIIT
Watch WIIT’s bursary programme page for the next call, and gather documents early, since incomplete applications are rejected. Join IITPSA as a student member to access WIIT events and mentoring.
See also the Generation Google scholarship.
