Connected & Seen·The CIO Playbook for Measurable Returns·21 August 2026·Cape Town·Invitation-Only · Complimentary·Senior IT Professionals·Connected & Seen·The CIO Playbook for Measurable Returns·21 August 2026·Cape Town·Invitation-Only · Complimentary·Senior IT Professionals·
5%
of ICT companies in South Africa are led by women — yet women represent nearly 40% of the ICT workforce.
Source: IITPSA / Connecting Africa, 2026
About this event
A room built for women who are already leading
This is not a networking event with name badges and elevator pitches. It is an intentional afternoon for 12 senior women in technology — curated for genuine connection, candid conversation, and the kind of mutual amplification that only happens when the right people are in the right room.
Every element — the venue, the format, the food, the conversation — is designed to leave every guest feeling connected and seen.
Each guest is also invited to curate her own welcome gift from a styled selection of accessories and keepsakes — designed to celebrate the woman she is, inside and outside the boardroom.
Founded in 1682, Blaauwklippen is one of South Africa's oldest and most celebrated wine estates — set against the Stellenbosch mountains, where heritage and quiet elegance define the setting.
The afternoon takes place in The Boardroom — a private, intimate space that holds exactly 12. No distractions. No noise. Just the room and the people in it.
Two speakers. One full-room conversation. A networking hour with connector cards. And a closing amplification round where every woman in the room gets 60 seconds to share what she needs — and the room shows up for her.
12:00
Arrival & networking
Guests arrive to a curated cheese and charcuterie spread with Blaauwklippen estate wines. Connector cards — personalised per guest — are waiting at the table. One hour of unstructured, intentional connection. Guests are also invited to curate their own welcome gift from a styled selection of accessories and keepsakes.
13:00
Host welcome
A brief welcome from the CCE founder. Why this room was built, who is in it, and what we are here to do together.
13:15
Making mentorship work
Real access, real relationships. What mentorship actually looks like when it works — and how to build the relationships that change your career, not just your CV.
Natalie Paida Jabangwe
CEO, Timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation · Board Member, Wesgro
Talk · 20 min · open discussion follows
14:00
Wine & connection break
20 minutes to refresh and reconnect.
14:20
Owning your seat
Pay, power, and assertiveness in a male-dominant industry. A candid conversation on what it takes to claim space in rooms that weren't built for us.
Nirvani Dhevcharran
CTO: Platforms & Operations, TFG
Talk · 20 min · open discussion follows
15:10
The amplification round
Each guest takes 60 seconds to share one thing she is working on. The room responds with one connection or resource they can offer. Structured generosity.
15:45
Intention setting & closing toast
Each guest writes one intention to follow through on. Closes with a toast — one word from each guest describing how she feels leaving the room.
16:00
Open networking & farewell
Guests linger and close out at their own pace over the remaining wine and the Stellenbosch estate setting.
Who attends
Invitation-only. Senior professionals only.
Every delegate is personally invited by the CCE team. There is no open registration. Attendance is complimentary for end-user delegates.
IT Directors & CTOs
Senior technology leaders with procurement authority and strategic decision-making responsibility at mid-to-large South African organisations.
CFOs & Finance Leaders
Finance executives at technology-driven organisations — the same people approving IT budgets and signing off on digital transformation investments.
Heads of Technology
Senior practitioners who lead technology functions within large organisations across financial services, retail, telecommunications, and the public sector.
Technology Founders
Entrepreneurs and founders in technology-adjacent industries navigating the same transformation challenges as their corporate counterparts.
Sponsor the event
The room your clients are already in.
Every delegate is a senior technology or business professional with procurement influence and a direct stake in the future of technology in South Africa. Multiple sponsorship categories available.
Technology Partner
IT solutions, cybersecurity, cloud, AI, ERP, or software
Category exclusivity — no competing brand in the room
10-min welcome or closing segment, or senior executive speaker slot
1 seat at the event
Social media coverage · post-event report
Copy of The CCE Access Gap Report
Option to add a facilitated 1-1 meeting (enquire for details)
Naming rights available as an add-on · 1-1 facilitated meeting also available · One brand per category — no exceptions. Contact us to discuss.
The CCE calendar
A room every quarter.
CCE runs curated, invitation-only gatherings on a quarterly cadence. Every event is complimentary for end-user delegates and funded entirely by category-exclusive partners — one brand per sector, no competitors in the room.
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"The right room changes everything — so I built one."
Vineshia Petersen · Founder, Connective Community Events
For delegates
Request an invitation
The Connective is complimentary and invitation-only. Tell us about yourself and we will be in touch.
Complimentary for end users · By invitation
For sponsors
Sponsor enquiry
Tell us which category interests you and we will send through the full proposal and schedule a call.
