November 20, 2018: South African entrepreneur and technocrat Sonto Kudjoe, who is a former Director General of South Africa’s State Security Agency (SSA) and Ambassador to Egypt from 2006-2010, has a unique understanding of the modern-day defense and security threats challenging the African continent.

In a recent interview in Forbes magazine, Ambassador Kudjoe stated that a major challenge for African and global defense is that by its very nature, the defense and security industry has always been and still in many cases remains, male-dominated. Nevertheless, she has been encouraged by signs that women are beginning to increase their numbers in this sector:

"Lately however, in South Africa, more and more women are taking strides into the Engineering, ICT, Software Development and Cybersecurity arenas. This phenomenon and the skills that these women will bring to the table are direly needed in the modern-day defense and security industry in particular.

It is very exciting that more women are qualifying as fighter pilots in the South African Airforce, for example, contributing at the pinnacle of the military establishment. We are also seeing an increasing number of women playing their part in senior roles at the Police Service and the State Intelligence Agency. This highlights that women do have an understanding and appreciation of the industry at large and I believe that, given the opportunity, women will make an even more impactful contribution to this ever-changing sector."

Read more: Ambassador Sonto Kudjoe On The Modern Day Defence And Security Threats Challenging Africa (forbes.com)