In this 3rd edition of the Department celebrating our young female talent, we chat with Zinzi Xakayi. We asked Zinzi a few questions about her interests, what she is currently doing, and where she sees herself in a few years.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, Zinzi.

A: I am 23 years old with an Honours degree in Geography and Environmental Sciences. I am currently pursuing a Masters degree in Geoinformatics and I am excited about the opportunities that this qualification will bring for me. I was born and raised in a small township, south of Johannesburg, Orange Farm. I am the first one in my family to obtain a qualification, so I am really excited to fly the ‘Xakayi’ flag high.

Q: What are you doing right now?

A: I am currently working as an intern at Kartoza - a South African based free and open-source GIS (FOSSGIS) service provider, I must say that I am often overwhelmed but I am loving it. This internship has provided a great opportunity for me to gain valuable experience, advance my GIS skills and to work on projects that are within my field of study. I have also discovered that the pool of GIS professionals is very small - it looks like everyone knows each other.

Q: What else is of interest to you?

A: I am highly passionate about Environmental hygiene and Geospatial Sciences - I really like the idea of using information technology to better understand people, places, and processes of the earth. I am usually an introvert, so during my ‘free’ time I always take walks and connect with nature.

If you enjoyed reading this piece, then have a look at our first edition where we showcased Cynthia Mapendere. In the second edition we showcased Kayla Theron.