Zambian ICT professionals have made a significant mark, with women leading and making their presence known. Zambia's tech sector has made a spectacular entrance on the African stage.
Zambia's technology sector has reached new heights! At the 2025 TICON Africa Awards held in Ghana, Zambian ICT professionals achieved a remarkable distinction by securing multiple awards among 82 entries from across the continent, demonstrating Zambia's growing competitiveness and excellence in the African tech landscape.
This achievement is more than just a win for the country; it signals a pivotal moment for Zambia’s digital landscape and sets the stage for spotlighting key players driving this progress.
Celebrating Zambian Female Tech Leaders
The victories of two outstanding women at the TICON Africa Awards highlight Zambia’s leadership in the technology sector. These awards are significant because they come at a time when the global technology sector is addressing gender representation, making the recognition of Zambian women particularly notable.
Matambila Karima Chuunga
Matambila Karima Chuunga is a cybersecurity expert, currently serving as the Regional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at UBA Zambia. She co-hosts the Honeypot Chats podcast to promote cybersecurity awareness and is a member of the Women in Technology Network in Zambia, advocating for gender diversity in tech.
She is the first Zambian to be appointed Regional Chief Information Security Officer at United Bank for Africa Plc, where she leads cybersecurity strategy and governance across East and Southern Africa. A co-founder of the Women in Technology Network Zambia. Her influential work has earned her a place among the "Influential League of FinTech Leaders in SADC", and she further contributes as an advisory board member for CISO Alliances Zambia and a member of the Rotary Club of Nkwazi.
Chuunga’s triumph in the Women in Tech Excellence Award embodies the growing influence of women driving innovation on the continent. Her participation recognition on the continental stage demonstrates that Zambian women aren't just participating in the tech revolution; they're leading it.
Christine Kunda Chungu
Christine Chungu is a young ICT professional from Zambia who serves as the Head of Technical Services at Starlabs Limited. She spearheaded the design and implementation of Zambia's first Security Operations Centre (SOC), establishing critical SIEM and vulnerability management tools. She also architected a compliant private cloud platform that provides hosting, Disaster Recovery, and Backup services, which now securely hosts eight clients in accordance with local data laws. As a leader of a nine-person team, she has resolved major national cyber incidents and mentored dozens of young engineers.
Her expertise is recognised through over 37 global certifications, including being the first woman in Zambia to attain the prestigious Check Point Master certification, and she is a two-time recipient of the Check Point Rising Star award. She has gained recognition for her ability to drive projects that leverage technology to address practical challenges and improve service delivery.
Chungu also made her mark by winning the Young ICT Trailblazer award for professionals under 35. Her achievement highlights the fresh talent emerging from Zambia's technology sector. Chungu's achievement signals that the future of Zambian ICT is in capable hands.
This award acknowledges her efforts in driving technological solutions and inspiring future generations in the field. Her win underscores Zambia’s growing influence in African tech innovation, as noted in the TICON Africa Awards’ celebration of homegrown talent addressing local and global challenges
What This Means For Zambia
These wins show that Zambia plays a serious role in Africa's digital transformation, with the winners playing a powerful role as models for young Zambians considering careers in technology.
The success at TICON Africa Awards positions Zambia as a country to watch in Africa's ongoing digital transformation, with homegrown solutions addressing local challenges whilst contributing to global technological progress.
