Thirty-nine years ago, Lungi Sangqu wrote her first lines of code. Nearly four decades later—after shaping digital systems across 49 African countries in banking, rail, logistics, and higher education—her most profound lesson has nothing to do with software. For this week’s Coffee With…, PHATHISANI MOYO sits down with the founder and CEO of Africa Digital Success to discuss why millions in enterprise tech spending go to waste, why C-suites must stop delegating strategy solely to IT departments, and what these years in computing teach us about AI and the human element of work.
In 1987, Lungi Sangqu discovered computer science and became captivated by its capacity to solve complex problems at speed. At the time, computing remained a novelty to most people in her community, but for Sangqu, it provided a clear window into tomorrow.
“I knew that I was learning about the future,” she told TechCabal.
Nearly four decades later, as the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa Digital Success, a pan-African digital transformation consultancy, Sangqu has spent her career helping institutions navigate that very future. Her work has spanned government, banking, education, logistics, and rail infrastructure across South Africa and the wider continent.
Yet her most profound insight has little to do with code or hardware. Technology can execute flawlessly according to specification and still fail the human beings expected to adopt it. The dividing line between success and failure, Sangqu has learnt, rests on leadership decisions, human-centric system design, and whether executives truly comprehend the problem they are attempting to solve.
A curiosity that began in Mthatha
Sangqu was raised in Mthatha, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, attending Ross Primary School before completing her matriculation at Ngangelizwe High School. She subsequently pursued university studies in mathematics, chemistry, and computer science.
Computer science captured her imagination in 1987. Intrigued by the sheer speed with which algorithms could resolve complex calculations, she advanced through Computer Science III.
While her early technical grounding laid the foundation for her career, decades of practical application broadened her perspective on technology’s ultimate purpose.
“Mathematics taught me discipline; technology taught me possibility; working in institutions taught me that both must be placed in service of people,” she reflects.
Starting as a software programmer in the early 1990s, Sangqu developed a sharp eye for detail and a deep appreciation for the operational staff who keep systems running. As she transitioned into larger institutions, the core challenges grew increasingly complex.
The fundamental questions evolved beyond technical functionality. Instead, they centered on strategic alignment: Why did the organisation require this system? Who would operate it? What was the true cost-to-benefit ratio? Would it measurably improve service delivery?
“As I moved into larger organisations, I saw that the hardest technology problems often sat outside the code,” she explains.
Her career trajectory took her through high-stakes roles at the Public Service Commission, the Department of Social Development, the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), the South African Post Office, the South African Reserve Bank, DHL Express, the University of South Africa (UNISA), Walter Sisulu University, and Transnet Freight Rail.
At DHL, her operational scope spanned 49 African countries. Across these diverse environments, Sangqu observed a universal truth: organisations must always start with the problem, never the product.
“Every problem requires the right technology,” she emphasises.
Transforming South Africa’s largest distance learning institution
A defining example of this philosophy occurred during her tenure at UNISA, South Africa’s largest open-distance learning institution. Sangqu led initiatives to digitise student applications, registration, assignment submission, and grading workflows.
This was not merely an IT procurement exercise. The university had to re-engineer core processes, train administrative staff, and evaluate whether digital tools served the institution’s educational mandate. By August 2013, UNISA had successfully transitioned assignment marking fully online.
However, the transition highlighted crucial equity considerations. Students required compatible devices and reliable broadband. While digital workflows streamlined operations for urban learners, they created friction for rural students lacking internet access.
For Sangqu, this underscores why digital initiatives cannot be evaluated solely by launch milestones.
“A successful launch is only a milestone,” she notes. “The real test is whether the organisation can sustain the change and whether the people it serves experience a tangible improvement.”
Addressing the governance and leadership deficit
After decades within major public and private enterprises, Sangqu grew troubled by how institutions evaluated digital investments. Too often, executive boards celebrated the acquisition of expensive platforms rather than improvements in customer experience, staff productivity, or decision-making quality.
She frequently witnessed organisations pouring millions into software without establishing a clear link to operational efficiency or revenue growth. In many instances, technology was brought into executive discussions as an afterthought—long after business strategy had been set.
To bridge this gap, Sangqu founded Africa Digital Success. The consultancy provides executive-level advisory services, helping leadership teams navigate technology risk, upskill talent, and execute sustainable digital strategies.
“The core gap was this,” she states. “Organisations were measuring technology by the wrong metrics, counting the platforms they acquired rather than asking whether technology helped them serve customers and citizens better.”
The habits that hold organisations back
One of the most persistent problems, she says, is the belief that technology belongs to the information technology (IT) department and that other executives need not concern themselves with it.
That separation can leave technology teams responsible for decisions they cannot make alone. A new system may require changes to budgets, staffing, customer service or everyday working practices. Without support from senior leaders, even a well-designed project can struggle.
Other habits create similar problems. Some organisations treat technology mainly as a cost to be reduced. Others assume an expensive international product must be better than a locally developed alternative. Departments may also keep information to themselves, making it harder for colleagues to see the full picture.
Slow approval processes can push employees to find their own solutions. A team unable to get permission for a digital tool may buy software independently or store information outside approved systems. Although this may help solve an immediate problem, it can leave the organisation exposed to security risks and unable to manage its information properly.
“Shadow IT is a governance and trust problem,” Sangqu said.
Her answer is not simply to impose more rules. Leaders need to take responsibility for technology decisions, while making internal processes clear and practical enough for employees to follow.
She also wants organisations to assess local technology on its merits rather than dismissing it before testing it. Products should be judged on whether they are reliable, secure, affordable and suitable for the organisation’s needs, not on where they come from or how familiar the supplier’s name is.
When organisations work with local providers, they can also create opportunities for skills development and knowledge transfer. Buying a system should not leave an organisation permanently dependent on an outside supplier.
AI, youth talent, and building enduring workplaces
These governance principles have become urgent as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace. Sangqu advises boards to define the specific operational problem before deploying AI, verify data integrity, and establish clear human oversight.
Furthermore, leaders must plan for workforce transitions when tasks are automated—re-skilling employees for higher-value roles rather than viewing automation solely through a cost-reduction lens.
She sees a similar mandate regarding young professionals entering the workforce. Many arrive with native digital literacy, only to be stifled by manual workflows and risk-averse managers who value physical presenteeism over output.
“We cannot ask young professionals to innovate while requiring them to spend their days repairing avoidable gaps in legacy systems,” she remarks.
While institutional history and senior mentorship remain vital, Sangqu stresses that knowledge exchange must be reciprocal. Established leaders must listen to younger staff who can spot operational inefficiencies.
From writing raw code in 1987 to advising enterprise boards today, Sangqu’s career reflects a singular conviction: digital progress is measured by what it enables human beings to achieve.
Through Africa Digital Success, her goal is to build self-sustaining institutional capacity across the continent.
“I want younger Africans to inherit workplaces where their ideas can seamlessly become meaningful, impactful work,” she reflects.
For a pioneer whose journey began with the promise of computer logic nearly 40 years ago, Sangqu’s ultimate focus remains squarely on the human beings behind the machine.
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I am the CEO of 9JAGISTLAND.My name is Adedeji Timothy and my co-owner is Oyekola Damilare.This blog is born out of our passion to educating to people in all aspect of internet life.We are enthusiastic about writing posts and articles online.
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