Advanced technologies and innovations have become an integral part of our lives and daily activities. The world can unanimously agree that it has embraced technology more than ever before.
The past decade has witnessed a growing rise in tech innovation and entrepreneurship across Africa, driven almost entirely by African youth. Across the continent, we have seen an increase in the number of active tech hubs, which provide space in which start-up companies can grow.
One of the African Youths breaking new ground in this field is Naadiya Moosajee. Here’s a story about the outstanding achievements of this young woman tha gave her a space on the prestigious ALM African of the week platform.
Who is Naadiya Moosajee?
Naadiya is a South African serial social entrepreneur by passion, a civil engineer by training, and is Co-Founder at WomHub, an innovative company creating gender parity through education and technology. She is also the co-founder of WomEng (women in engineering), a social enterprise, which she has grown across multiple countries.
Background and Education
She was born in South Africa in 1984. She attended the University of Cape Town, UCT where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Civil Engineering. She continued her studies at UCT, graduating with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Transport Engineering in 2009. During her final year, while pursuing her master’s degree, she spent 12 months as an international exchange student at the University of Stuttgart in Germany. In 2013, she graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
Experiences
The 39 years old has a variety of experiences, including; technical engineering, leadership development, management, consulting, and entrepreneurship. It was stated earlier that She is the Co-Founder, WomHub, an innovative start-up creating gender parity through education and technology; Co-Founder, WomEng, a social enterprise developing girls in STEM and women in engineering in multiple countries and which in 2017, launched the #1MillionGirlsInSTEM programme.
Naadiya serves as a Board Director at the MMI Foundation; she is chair of the Board at the Tom Queba Trust and an emeritus board member at Pegasys, a niche management consultancy, and is an emeritus board director for the International Youth Foundation. She is a Global Future Council Member with the World Economic Forum covering Gender, Education and the Future of Work and Alumni, Global Shapers Community.
What about Naadiya?
What about Naadiya makes her unique and outstanding? Her passion! She is passionate about fostering growth and prosperity in Africa, developing and mentoring the next generation of youth leaders, and engineering better societies. These qualities set her apart and granted her the chance of being ALM’s Young African of the Week.
According to UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics, only 8 percent of all students in engineering, manufacturing, and construction globally are women. With STEM-related industries on the rise, Naadiya realized that women were being barred from opportunities for reasons that began as early as childhood. She decided to use her personal experience as a female engineer and the systemic challenges she faced both educationally and professionally as tools for changing the status quo.
In order to create gender diversity in the STEM industries, Naadiya knew she would have to “revolutionize the face of engineering” and that she would need to create and foster a community that would help enact this change. In 2006, she teamed up with Hema Vallabh and co-founded WomEng.
The duo also created WomHub when they recognised the challenges women face in the business world. They wanted to create a supportive community and workspace for women entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals; where women could connect, collaborate, and convert. The founders believe that by providing a supportive and inclusive environment, women can achieve their full potential and make a meaningful impact in their respective fields.
Inside WomHub’s Creative Space
WomHub, a Cape Town based female-founder innovation and co-working space, recently opened its doors to the public, officially.
According to co-founder Naadiya, what sets the space apart is that it is intentionally designed for women by women, so the space includes a lactation lounge, a junior engineering hub where members can have their kids co-play while they co-work and a wellness lounge. The space also offers access to a network of experts, mentors, and investors, who can provide guidance and support to women entrepreneurs.
According to Naadiya, they plan to build similar facilities in Botswana and Kenya and eventually, more African countries.
Recognitions
Naadiya has won numerous awards including Most Influential Woman of the Year, the Frost & Sullivan Visionary Leadership Award and Top 100 Brightest Young Minds in South Africa. In 2014, she was named as one of the “Top Twenty Young Power Women in Africa” by a Magazine.
Naadiya Moosajee is The ALM Young African of the Week
