Mmaki Jantjies is one of the foremost thought leaders on innovation and digital transformation in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Warwick (UK) and she is currently serving as the Group Executive for Innovation and Transformation at Telkom South Africa, where she established the group innovation office. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of the Western Cape and serves as a member of the South African National Advisory Council on Innovation.
Mmaki is a scholar in technology for development, where her work focuses on digital inclusion in Africa, and she is passionate about building inclusive ecosystems for economic advancement. She has served in various senior academic leadership roles, at the North West University, the University of Cape Town and the University of Western Cape, having also supervised Master’s and PhD students.
Furthermore, she founded a non-profit organization, Peo Ya Phetogo to promote digital literacy, impacting children nationwide by educating teachers in digital skills, and has launched partnerships with UN Women, Google, and the Mozilla Foundation.
Prof. Jantjies is recognized internationally for her work and was a recipient of the Aspen New Voices fellowship, a member of the South African young academy of scientists (SAYAS). Her work has garnered significant recognition, emphasizing her contributions to South Africa and the African continent technology landscape. Prof Jantjies is one of 15 independent scientists appointed by the UN to draft the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).
