Thoko Miya — internet policy, connectivity and founders, from Johannesburg
Thoko Miya, portrait

Internet policy, connectivity and founders. From Johannesburg, in every room that decides.

Johannesburg · ZA Scroll
A Where she is

Accra,
this week.

At the 15th Africa Internet Governance Forum, on the questions that decide who gets online and who gets trusted.

Tue 3 NovScaling innovation securelyThe trust challenge for African startups
Wed 4 NovRural broadband modelsIntegrating new technologies to connect Africa
NS Where she sits
Policy

Governance

Chairs the Internet Society's South Africa Chapter. Deputy Chair of the ZAIGF Multi-Stakeholder Committee.

  • UN IGF 2022, Addis Ababa: High-Level Leaders session on digital rights, alongside Vint Cerf
  • Coordinator, UN IGF Youth track
  • ICANN At-Large, AFRALO · Africa IGF taskforce
Connectivity

Access

Expansion Operations Manager at TooMuchWifi, the community ISP bringing affordable internet to the places networks skipped.

  • Chairs MICT SETA's 4IR research and innovation committee
  • ISPA Fellow
  • Research group, Center for AI and Digital Policy
Founders

Startup Thoko

Founded an online business school and incubator for founders at every stage.

  • Co-Director, StartupCircles Cape Town
  • Project Manager, SiMODiSA TechXit
  • Advisory board, Younglings Africa
Girls in code

Girlhype

Inside the girls-in-tech movement from the start, from programme manager to CEO.

  • Technovation Master Educator
  • Africa Region Ambassador, she++
  • Mentoring girls into code across South Africa
LOG Moments

The record, so far.

2014

Teaching girls to code

Technovation Master Educator. Girlhype programme office.

2019

Fabulous Woman Award

For lifting young women into tech.

Thoko Miya2020

Startup Thoko

A school and incubator for founders.

Thoko Miya2022

UN IGF, Addis Ababa

High-Level Leaders session on digital rights.

2024

Chair, ISOC South Africa

Elected to lead the national chapter.

2025

ZAIGF, Durban

Deputy Chair, closing day one.

2026

Africa IGF, Accra

Two sessions: startup trust and rural broadband.

PTR Rooms

The rooms where it gets decided.

TXT In her words
“I am a shareholder, an investor, entrepreneurship pipeline developer, and an ecosystem builder.”
Thoko Miya · Briefly News, 2022
SRV Speaking

Bring her into the room.

Keynotes, fireside conversations, moderation and curation, in English, Setswana, isiXhosa and French.

Policy

Who owns Africa's front door

Internet governance for people who don't attend governance meetings.

Connectivity

The last kilometre

What community networks teach about getting the next billion online.

Founders

Trust is the infrastructure

Building African startups that partners, users and regulators believe in.

Inclusion

Built for her, from the start

What a decade of girls in code taught about what actually scales.

KeynoteFiresideModerationCurationWorkshops
SOA The letter

Once a season, a letter.

Notes from the rooms, who she's backing, and first word on the next salon. Sometimes an invitation.

MX Reach her

Thoko.

Bookingsbookings@thokomiya.co.za
PressBio in three lengths, headshots, one-sheet
BasedJohannesburg, South Africa · travels across Africa

© Thoko Miya · Johannesburg