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Phindiwe didn’t always work in tech and like many, the world of coding was completely foreign to her. She had novice level computer skills at the beginning of her journey and her background was primarily in retail. She was eager to build a career and hoped to break into the tech world. With an eagerness to learn, she fully immersed herself into web development. Knowing how difficult the landscape is in South Africa, particularly for women, she wanted to use her experience as an opportunity to share her experience and provide resources with her community. 

Along the way, Phindiwe faced her own challenges as many women in the field do. She was up against a lack of resources, mentors and faced the harsh reality of breaking into a male-dominated industry. Instead of letting these challenges deter her, she created what would become a roadmap for other young women to follow in her footsteps. With an industry that’s ever-evolving, Phindiwe emphasizes the importance of women pushing for equal opportunities and having a voice at the table. She wants to empower women to use their voice to help shape the future of tech. That led her to co-found her organization, BabesGotByes (BGB).

Beyond Code with BabesGotBytes

Watch Phindiwe’s talk from last year’s Developer Days! 

Creating Safe Spaces for Women in Tech

Founded in 2019, BabesGotBytes is an organization dedicated to empowering women and girls in underserved communities. The aim of the organization is to teach digital skills, coding and tech literacy while providing support and mentorship. BabesGotBytes strives to provide support to help alleviate the high unemployment rate for women in South Africa. 

Since their founding in 2019 they have: 

• Run six coding cohorts
• Found permanent employment for five women
• 62% of the learners in their cohorts are now employed
• Secured 14 positions with big tech companies for young women
• Helped two graduates secure bursaries to study at the university
• Impacted 10,000 youth through their workshops and learning interventions

As the organization continues to grow, they’re in need of support and resources. Currently, they’re facing the hurdle of securing a safe workspace. As the demographic is young women and girls, they feel unsafe traveling to and from the workspace. Learners have dropped out of the program due to the dangerous area with a high crime rate and the distance to and from. Their goal is to find a safe, reliable workspace where they can mentor, facilitate workshops and learnings and help these young girls and women carve out their future in tech. 

Funding is vital for organizations like BabesGotBytes to thrive. They rely on donors and sponsors to support training programs and provide the equipment needed for learners to gain up-to-date technical skills. Beyond financial contributions, all forms of support are welcome—whether it’s volunteering time, sharing expertise, or simply amplifying their voice. Every contribution helps BabesGotBytes grow and continue making an impact.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the TYPO3 community for the support and inspiration you provide. It’s incredible to be part of such a welcoming, open-source ecosystem where people from all over the world come together to share knowledge and create change

I’ll never forget the first time I attended a TYPO3 event—I was overwhelmed by the warmth and kindness of everyone there. I remember thinking, ‘Who are these amazing people?’. It was my first time, and I truly felt a sense of belonging. Since then, I’ve taken that feeling back home and applied it at BabesGotBytes, striving to create a community where everyone feels welcome and supported.”

–Phindiwe Nqanqaru

Community in Action: BabesGotBytes Meets TYPO3

Phindiwe was first introduced to TYPO3 by Olivier Dobberkau, President of the TYPO3 Association. He was visiting South Africa for a conference and implored Phindi and her team to explore TYPO3 and the community. The open-source element and ability to build strong, secure, scalable websites is what appealed to Phindiwe the most about TYPO3. 

TYPO3 was the natural fit for BabesGotBytes as it focuses on community, welcoming newcomers and is beginner friendly. Since then, Phindiwe and BabesGotBytes have been involved with the TYPO3 community in various ways. They regularly host TYPO3 meetups in Cape Town, offering participants the opportunity to explore how they can get involved with both the TYPO3 community and the CMS itself. These gatherings also include hands-on sessions focused on open-source collaboration, where attendees can learn how to contribute to TYPO3’s documentation and actively shape the platform’s future.

Get involved

Community is the cornerstone of any successful open-source project. There are many ways to support people within the ecosystem, including BabesGotBytes. 

If you’re interested, here’s a few ways you can help: 

• Donating old laptops or equipment
• Offering your mentorship and time 
• Spread the word with your network 

BabesGotBytes is always on the lookout for volunteers who can assist with teaching or provide guidance for their learners. Sharing experiences or offering motivation is equally valuable for the girls involved with the organization. 

Interested in learning how you can help secure a safe learning space where young girls can learn how to code? 

Support their mission!