In light of International Women’s Month and International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, we chatted to Faith Ramusetheli, Transformation Director of Sage Africa & Middle East.
As a woman in tech, she shares how she balances work, and life and offers advice to other women in this field:
Q. How do you balance work and life?
Working in the technology space is one of the most fulfilling, challenging and interesting parts of my life. It’s not always easy to find the right balance between work and personal life, especially now that our homes have also become our workplace.
I have learned to prioritise work and family time by following a daily routine. I always start my day with physical exercise to prepare my body and mind for the day ahead. During the day, I dedicate my time to work; after work, I focus on family responsibilities.
Q. What is the favourite part of your job?
My favourite part of my job is transforming people’s lives and making a difference to the lives of all through technology – “Making a difference, one life at a time.”
Q. What is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
There are still too few women in the tech industry, and being part of that group is exciting and fulfilling. As a woman in the tech industry, I enjoy mentoring the youth and highlighting the industry’s opportunities for women.
Q. What does a typical day on-the-job look like for you?
Most of my day is spent planning and implementing initiatives and programmes on how we can change the lives of our colleagues and our communities, through skills development and other technological initiatives like coding and robotics for school kids.
Q. Did you always know that working in technology was what you wanted to do?
No, I started my career in HR in the manufacturing industry. Over time, I started moving to the tech space, which has been the most fulfilling part of my career.
Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
The sky is not the limit; there is no limit to success and to making a difference. Only you can limit yourself.
Q. What advice would you give women entering the tech field? Anything you wish you had known when you started?
Take every challenge and make the most of it. Don’t try to be like everyone else. Be different and push yourself to achieve your goals. When focusing on technology trends, don’t just focus on the now, but look to the future. Get a mentor and coach in the tech industry.
Q. Where does your passion for small business come from?
Small businesses are the biggest drivers of our economy. Working in transformation over a number of years made me realise the importance of supporting and investing in the growth of small businesses.
Q. Aside from encouraging more women to consider technology careers, what would you like to see change within the industry?
It would be great to see more women in decision-making roles in the tech industry. I would also like to see tech industries change their culture and afford more women an opportunity to grow in tech roles. This means tech companies should also find ways to retain women, even after they have children, and allow for more work-life balance within their structures.
