From the university classroom to careers in automotive, banking and retail, three sisters are building futures in an industry where representation matters.
Pretoria, South Africa (24 August 2026) – It started with one sister taking the leap. Then another followed. And then another.
Today, Mahle, Vuyisa and Katlego Shabalala have all studied Information Technology at the University of Pretoria and are building careers across different corners of the tech and business world.
Coming from a humble South African family, the sisters never set out to create some grand family legacy. They were simply focused on getting an education and building better futures for themselves. Somewhere along the way, though, something pretty special happened: all three ended up graduating in technology.
Mahle, the eldest, was the first to open that door. After completing her Master’s in Information Technology with Golden Key recognition, she went on to work across software development, quality assurance and IT governance in the automotive industry. She now leads technology initiatives while helping create opportunities for young people entering the industry.
Then Vuyisa followed. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with distinction and now works as a data analyst in the banking sector while completing her Master’s in IT. Her work is also driven by a desire to see more black women represented in technology, particularly in spaces where they remain under-represented.
Katlego, the youngest, completed her undergraduate degree with distinction and is now working in the fast-moving consumer goods and retail sector while pursuing her honours degree.
For Katlego, having her sisters ahead of her made the journey that much more meaningful.
“They say good things come in threes, and in this family, that could not be more true.”
While their careers have taken different directions, the sisters share a belief that technology should ultimately be used to solve real problems and improve people’s lives.
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