By Shumirai Chimombe 

Kume Luvhani is one of South Africa’s most compelling technology leaders, a woman who has translated extraordinary personal ambition and intellectual rigour into one of the country’s most impactful enterprise technology companies.

For these achievements, among others, Kume was recently honoured with the Africa Tech: Women in Tech award at the 8th Annual Africa Tech Week Awards 2026 organised by Topco Media in Cape Town on 13 May.

The Africa Tech Week Awards are designed to recognise and reward technological excellence, digital transformation, and innovation across the African continent. Rather than just celebrating technology for its own sake, the awards focus on how digital tools are being used to catapult African countries and enterprises into the future, solve critical local challenges, and drive economic growth.

She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of  Vaxowave – a majority black female-owned, BBBEE Level 1 digital technology company.  The company operates across three continents with offices in South Africa and Portugal and clients spanning Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Under Kume’s leadership, Vaxowave runs FinOps as a managed service for more than three major South African financial institutions including Standard Bank, and has built a technology capability stack: AI, multi-cloud, data, DevOps, FinOps, security, SRE, networking, and sustainability that is globally competitive in its depth and FSI-specific rigour. 

Kume holds ultimate accountability for Vaxowave’s strategy, commercial performance, client relationships, people, culture, and brand. She is the primary architect of Vaxowave’s positioning as a premier, cloud-native enterprise transformation partner, a company that competes not on price, but on the depth of expertise and the quality of partnership it brings to every engagement. 

This is the story of a leader who did not wait to be given a platform. She built one.

We caught up with Kume to find out more about her achievements and what drives her success. 

Please tell us more about Vaxowave’s success and impact in South Africa

Vaxowave’s success has been built on a clear belief: digital transformation must be practical, secure, intelligent and sustainable. We work with organisations to modernise their technology environments, unlock the value of data, strengthen cloud adoption and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence into business operations.

Our impact lies not only in the systems we implement, but in the confidence we help organisations build. Many businesses understand that they must transform, but they need a trusted partner who can translate complexity into strategy, and strategy into execution. That is where Vaxowave has positioned itself.

We are proud to contribute to South Africa’s digital maturity by helping organisations become more agile, more resilient and more competitive. But beyond that, we are also intentional about empowerment. We believe a technology company in South Africa must be measured not only by revenue or technical capability, but by the doors it opens for young people, women and emerging talent.

The tech industry is known to be male-dominated. Do you believe that this is still the case or are women advancing more in this field?

The technology industry remains male-dominated in many respects, particularly in senior technical leadership, investment access and boardroom representation. However, I do believe we are seeing a meaningful shift. Women are no longer only entering the industry; they are building companies, leading transformation programmes, driving AI adoption, shaping policy conversations and mentoring the next generation.

That said, progress should not be confused with parity. Representation matters, but influence matters even more. We need more women not only participating in technology, but owning platforms, leading innovation, accessing capital and making strategic decisions about the future of digital economies.

For me, the advancement of women in tech is not a diversity conversation alone. It is an economic imperative. When women are fully included in the technology value chain, we expand the range of problems being solved, the quality of leadership in the sector, and the social impact of innovation.

What challenges have you faced in tech in South Africa and how did you succeed in overcoming them?

One of the major challenges has been earning trust in a highly competitive and technically demanding sector. In technology, clients are not only buying a service; they are entrusting you with critical systems, sensitive data and strategic transformation. As a growing company, we had to prove that we could deliver with excellence, consistency and integrity.

Another challenge has been navigating the pace of change. Cloud, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data platforms are moving rapidly. To remain relevant, we have had to build a culture of continuous learning, certification, experimentation and disciplined execution.

There are also broader challenges in South Africa, including skills shortages, digital inequality and uneven access to opportunities. We overcame these by being intentional: investing in talent, building strong partnerships, focusing on measurable outcomes, and refusing to compromise on quality.

I have learned that resilience in business is not simply endurance. It is the ability to adapt without losing your values, to grow without losing your purpose, and to lead with both courage and humility.

Beyond business, you are committed and passionate about advancing literacy, youth development  and women’s leadership in technology. Can you elaborate on this work you do?

I believe success carries responsibility. Business gives us a platform, but purpose gives that platform meaning.

My commitment to literacy, youth development and women’s leadership is deeply personal. I come from a place where I have seen first-hand that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Many young people, especially young women, have intelligence, ambition and potential, but they often lack exposure, mentorship, resources or access to the right networks. I am passionate about helping to close that gap in practical and meaningful ways.

One of the ways I do this is by sponsoring the education of a few young women from my hometown out of my own pocket. For me, this is not charity; it is investment. It is an investment in human potential, in families, in communities and in the future leadership of our country. Education changes the trajectory of a life, and when you educate a woman, the impact often extends far beyond the individual.

I also serve on the BCX Wired for Women Advisory Board, which advocates for the advancement of women in leadership. This work is important because women do not only need to be included in conversations about leadership; they need to be positioned, supported and empowered to lead with authority, confidence and influence. Representation matters, but structured advocacy and access matter just as much.

Mentorship is another area I am passionate about. I offer my time to mentor others because I believe that knowledge must be shared, and that leaders have a responsibility to help others navigate the path more wisely. However, I also believe mentorship is a two-way commitment. A mentee must come with self-awareness, intention and a willingness to do the work. Mentorship is most powerful when the mentee understands what they want, is clear about the areas in which they need guidance, and takes responsibility for their own growth.

Literacy is foundational because it gives people the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, interpret the world and participate meaningfully in the economy. Youth development is equally important because the future of technology, business and society will be shaped by the young people we empower today. Women’s leadership in technology matters because we cannot build inclusive digital economies while leaving half the population underrepresented.

Ultimately, my work in these areas is about creating confidence, visibility and access. Whether through education sponsorship, mentorship, advocacy, skills development or opening doors for others, I want to contribute to a generation that does not merely consume technology, but creates it, governs it and uses it to solve real African problems.

Please tell us what drives you to be a success in your business

I am driven by purpose, excellence and impact. I have never viewed business as merely a commercial activity. For me, business is a vehicle for solving problems, creating dignity through employment, advancing innovation and contributing to national development on my own terms.

I am also driven by the responsibility to represent what is possible. As a woman in technology and as a leader, I understand that my journey is not mine alone. When we succeed, we expand the imagination of others. We make it easier for another young woman, another entrepreneur, another emerging leader to believe that they too can build, lead and succeed.

What keeps me grounded is faith, discipline and the people I serve: my family, my team, our clients and the communities we impact. Success, to me, is not only about reaching the top. It is about building something meaningful on the way there.

What advice or inspiration can you give to other tech entrepreneurs?

My advice to tech entrepreneurs is to build with depth, not just speed. Technology rewards innovation, but sustainable success requires discipline, credibility and execution.

Do not chase trends blindly. Understand the problem you are solving, know your customer deeply and build solutions that are relevant to your market. In a world fascinated by buzzwords, clarity is a competitive advantage.

I would also encourage entrepreneurs to invest in partnerships, governance and people. You cannot scale a serious technology company on talent alone; you need systems, ethics, financial discipline and a team that shares the vision.

Most importantly, do not disqualify yourself because the industry is difficult or because the room does not yet look like you. Many of us are building in spaces where we were once not expected to lead. That is precisely why we must lead well.

Entrepreneurship requires courage, but it also requires patience. Build consistently. Learn relentlessly. Stay humble. Protect your integrity. And remember that the greatest businesses are not only those that generate profit, but those that create progress.