From representing the University of Cape Town as an athlete to co-founding one of Africa’s most effective artificial intelligence ventures, Chido Dzinotyiwe, 28, has stayed ahead of the curve. A finance postgraduate and Mandela Rhodes Fellow, she is now chief executive of Vambo AI, a multilingual artificial intelligence company supporting more than 44 African languages — a transformative step toward inclusive technology. At Vambo AI, Chido leads strategy, innovation and localisation, working with local and global partners to ensure African voices help shape the future of artificial intelligence. Under her leadership, the company has won the Aanit Prize for Social Impact, been selected for the NBA Africa Accelerator, and ranked on Slator’s Top 50 Language AI Start-ups. She also represents South Africa on the G20 Start-up20 Task Force, helping shape global policy for emerging markets. Her work bridges AI and education — supporting South African universities in implementing multilingualism and making learn- ing content accessible to thousands of students in their own languages. Mentored by global tech leaders and rooted in faith, Chido is passionate about building solutions from the continent, for the continent.
Different mentors have contributed to the journey in unique ways, from building public speaking skills to strengthening confidence. My parents remain the greatest inspiration — bold, courageous, and committed to working as a team to achieve more. Their sacrifices have created the opportunities available today. Recent mentors include global technology leaders such as Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, and Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity. Their ability to pioneer groundbreaking solutions without established blueprints resonates deeply, reflecting the power of innovation and resilience.