About the Webinar

About the Speaker

Ms. Thandikile Chisala Mbvundula (Malawi) is the current Vice-President of the African Space Agency and a distinguished leader, technology innovator, advisor, and management consultant. With over 30 years of strategic business leadership in Africa’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector, she has been at the forefront of driving digital transformation across the continent.
Ms. Mbvundula holds a Bachelor’s degree in Control Systems and Computing Science from the University of Sheffield and a Master’s degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Liverpool. Her academic background, combined with deep technical expertise, has informed her impactful contributions to the ICT and digital policy landscape.
Her leadership career spans senior roles in prominent institutions such as NICO Technologies, the NEPAD e-Africa Commission, and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), where she coordinated ICT sector initiatives across 10 Southern African countries. She also served as an ICT consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 1994, she founded Epsilon & Omega, Malawi’s first commercial Internet service provider—and the first woman-owned ISP on the African continent—securing her legacy as one of Africa’s Internet pioneers.
Ms. Mbvundula has also held numerous advisory roles, significantly shaping digital accessibility, ICT development, and space policy at both national and continental levels. She has collaborated with key institutions, including the African Union, UNECA, and SADC, championing policy reforms and leading high-level negotiations. Her efforts have been instrumental in launching transformative initiatives such as the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), which expanded regional connectivity and strengthened Africa’s digital infrastructure.