The Standard Chartered Women in Tech Programme, part of the bank’s Futuremakers initiative, has announced its latest cohort of winners. The programme, in partnership with WomHub, focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs in South Africa’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing) sectors. The goal is to provide aspiring women-led businesses with the resources and support needed to scale and innovate in industries that are often dominated by men.
On 4 March 2025, five standout women entrepreneurs were awarded USD 10 000 each following a three-month incubation period, where they pitched their technology-driven solutions. The programme also offers mentorship, networking opportunities, and vital business resources, ensuring women can overcome barriers and build successful businesses.
Meet the winners:
• Spenda South Africa: develops products that create impact and solve problems in emerging markets. The team has been focused on launching and testing payment products in the South African market. Their first product, Spenda Scan to Pay: The Voucher Revolution 2023, is a digital voucher linked to a phone number, enabling users to pay for goods and services. More information is available on the voucher store.
• QP Drone Tech: a South African-based company specialising in innovative drone technology solutions. They provide cutting-edge drone services across various industries, including agriculture, mining, and infrastructure inspection. With a focus on precision, efficiency, and safety, QP Drone Tech uses advanced aerial technologies to offer high-quality data collection and analysis, helping businesses optimise operations and make informed decisions.
• Smartee: offers business solutions for asset management and protection, targeting customers with a large number of distributed assets in the logistics and retail sectors. The company provides battery-operated hardware for proximity location management, temperature monitoring, and software solutions to remotely manage these assets. Smartee offers customisable devices and software packages to meet the specific needs of customers, such as returnable packaging, temperature control of beauty and food products, and the real-time security of company assets.
• Ukuhamba: a black youth and women-owned tech healthcare company, Ukuhamba manufactures affordable, high-quality prosthetics and orthotics, customising designs to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
• AddressDox: offers digital solutions for local governments, helping them enhance their operations and serve communities more effectively through streamlined systems and processes.
This year’s programme has once again highlighted the importance of supporting female entrepreneurs in tech. With the financial backing and expertise offered, Standard Chartered and WomHub are helping to create a more inclusive, innovative ecosystem for women in South Africa’s tech sector.
