Fikile Mdiniso: A Model For The Next Wave Of Tech Professionals And Entrepreneurs

NAEEM KANDWAL
The technology sector offers a wide range of employment opportunities, including positions in web development, software engineering, network engineering, data science, and IT support. Professionals in the tech industry benefit greatly from mentoring and coaching in terms of their professional growth and career success. A tech mentor helps mentees make wise decisions and advance in their careers by offering advice on skill development, career pathways, and overcoming obstacles. It would not be incorrect to suggest that tech mentors are modern-day heroes. Among these present day heroes is Fikile Mdiniso, an award winning engineer, technology leader, and mentor in corporate South Africa. Fikile holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology (Cum laude) from Vaal University of Technology and a Post Graduate Diploma (Distinction) in Management Practices from Henley Business School. With a passion for lifelong learning, she is in pursuit of furthering her studies to hold a PhD in her field and an international MBA. Fikile is the founder and CEO of Infinite Tech Space, a network that mentors and nurtures young girls and women who want to pursue or accelerate their careers in the field of Technology. The organization was founded in 2023 when she saw a growing need in her field for access to education, mentorship and development networks aimed at empowering young people with skills to be more confident in the industry. She believes this will shift the paradigm both in the country and continent at large to build a technologically fit and capable culture for innovation from the skills brewed locally. Unquestionably, Infinite Tech Space’s founding was a revolutionary move for the tech sector. Because of her remarkable accomplishments, Fikile is deserving of being seen as a role model for the next wave of tech professionals and entrepreneurs. She is unique in that she is multifaceted in corporate, academic, media and social entrepreneurship. She received recognition from the Mrs. Universe organization as Woman of the Universe Africa 2023–2024 after winning the title of Mrs. Universe Top Africa 2021. She just received the 2024 Woman in Technology Award. South African women in business are among the most innovative and quickly growing businesswomen in the world. Fikile is a wonderful example of this. Under her leadership, Infinite Tech Space is growing rapidly. She has mentored and encouraged numerous individuals to achieve professional success through her organization. As a highly accomplished entrepreneur, mentor, and technology leader, she provides the following business success techniques to help the next generation of female entrepreneurs and technology leaders succeed in their ventures: Be Brave and Resilient: Courage enables you to take a leap into the unknown and face challenges head on in your journey of entrepreneurship. There will be times when you are swimming against the tides and the courage to be wrong and try again separates the striving entrepreneurs. Continuously taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone and staying the course even in the face of adversity is the foundation every entrepreneur needs to achieve results. Stay Focused and Consistent: We live in a world of too many options and opinions available to us. Not to mention the naysayers that will say it’s impossible. Self confidence and always remaining true to yourself will allow you to step into your center and focus on the dream and vision at hand. If you are really convinced by your idea and you’ve considered the risks and opportunities carefully, you shouldn’t let yourself be dissuaded by naysayers—even if they come from your own family or circle of friends. Be proactive instead and create a supportive environment on your way to your goal. Invest in yourself: To achieve any form of success in your business, you need to invest in your physical and psychological well-being and training. Invest in acquiring knowledge and skills in your industry as this will enable innovation to achieve a competitive advantage. Make lifelong learning a part of your DNA. Build Relationships and Allies: Entrepreneurship can be a daunting journey at the beginning. But knowing that you have relationships and allies that can mentor, coach and advise you through it removes some of the pressure of having to know it all. It takes a team with diverse skills to make a business a success. Make time for business networking events and join networking clubs with like-minded entrepreneurs to boost your stance and visibility in such communities and position yourself for opportunities that can grow your business. Think Big and Always Stay Hungry: A corporate vision of true greatness encompasses more than just economic goals. It shows you where you want your company to be at a certain point in time. This includes the image you wish to project. You must constantly move beyond your comfort zone. After all, you can’t achieve anything great if you’re only focused on the everyday. After the first entrepreneurial success, you might feel like everything runs by itself and you can live off your first success for a long time. But that is a mistake. Competition evolves constantly. If you don’t develop your offer at the same pace, you’ll soon be left behind. Motivate yourself again rapidly after you experience success and stimulate your appetite for further growth.