Digital Enterprise Africa grew out of the alumni of the Institute for Satellite & Software Applications (ISSA), a specialist ICT, satellite, and software training institute which produced 417 graduates. Between 1998 and 2004, our alumni were certified by Microsoft, Cisco, Sun Microsystems and Oracle, funded by the Government, and by Vodacom and Telkom – and sent on for postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University, University of Toulouse and Carnegie Mellon University.
To open the doors of Africa's digital and AI economy to everyone willing to learn - so that capability, not circumstance, decides who builds the future
Out of the Prayers of Our Parents
By Dumisani Sondlo, Founder & Managing Director
Those of us who passed through the Institute for Satellite & Software Applications (ISSA) arrived carrying more than our bags. We carried the hopes of parents and grandparents who had been denied the opportunities that they prayed for us to get.
ISSA answered those prayers for 417 graduates – certified by Microsoft, Cisco, Sun Microsystems and Oracle, funded by the Government, and by Vodacom and Telkom – and sent on for postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University, University of Toulouse and Carnegie Mellon University.
Why are we coming back now?
The Age of AI is rewriting who gets to participate in the economy. Our alumni network is re-activating because the same doors that opened for us risk closing for the next generation – unless someone holds them open.
The real cost of the skills gap
56% of South African entities struggle to recruit cybersecurity talent. And AI and data roles are similarly scarce. Every unfilled role is a young person who could have been trained, a family (and community) which could have been lifted up, and a business that could have grown.
Our answer
Mentor-led, certification-bearing training that turns learners into founders. A recognised Microsoft Azure/AI pathway, 200 volunteer mentors, and host companies who invest in real placements. And for the strongest, modern support systems for building startups of their own.
This… is our “why.”
Dumisani is a strategist, AI governance practitioner and digital transformation leader with close to three decades of experience where policy, technology and society meet. He believes that Africa’s greatest advantage in the AI era is its people. His mission is to connect talent, institutions, industry and technology so that this potential is unlocked and digital progress becomes lasting economic and social impact.
Dr Maria Marakalla is an academic, ICT leader, researcher, author and mentor with more than 20 years of experience in telecommunications, information technology, customer experience management and digital transformation. She holds a leadership position at the University of South Africa (UNISA), one of Africa’s largest universities, where she provides strategic guidance on digital transformation and service.
Zevangeli is an IT risk & service management professional with more than 20 years of experience in technology governance, risk administration, audit action tracking, change management, service management & performance reporting. She is an alumna of the Institute for Satellite & Software Applications (ISSA), where she earned her Cisco CCNA certification, completed a practical attachment in Information Security.
Fiona Moko has over 20 years of experience across public service, financial services, education & community development. She holds a BSc and a BSc Honours in Mathematics from the University of Fort Hare and a postgraduate qualification in Education from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Her professional qualifications include the RE5 regulatory certificate & the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).