Vossie Feature: Challenging Stereotypes in Sport and Technology.

Post by Eduvos, August 31, 2026.

Meet Ayabonga Makhaluza, a sports enthusiast and Software Engineering student at the Eduvos Vaal campus. Ayabonga has always been drawn to competition and learning new skills. From competitive swimming and esports, to building her own custom PC and pursuing a career in technology, her journey is shaped by curiosity, determination, and a desire to keep becoming a better version of herself.

Breaking Barriers in Sports

Ayabonga’s passion for sport started at home, with parents who encouraged her to get involved in different activities from a young age. She participated in ballet, swimming, hockey, athletics, and more, but competitive swimming quickly became her favourite.

“Sport taught me how to be more critical about myself and how no matter what there’s always room for improvement,” she says. “I always try and push to be a better version of myself every day.”

Her move into esports, however, brought a very different experience. While swimming provided a clear and established space for women to compete, esports introduced Ayabonga to assumptions about her abilities based simply on her gender.

“When I was swimming competitively, being a girl in the sport just felt normal,” she explains. “I never had to think twice about whether I belonged there.”

In esports, she was underestimated in lobbies and on teams before even having the opportunity to demonstrate her skills. This shaped her understanding of what it means to be a woman in sport.

“Being a woman in sport now means something more to me: it’s not just showing up, it’s proving that competitiveness and skill don’t have a gender, every single time I play.”

For Ayabonga, that mindset extends beyond her own experience. She hopes her journey can encourage younger women to participate in sport, even when the path is challenging.

“Participating in any sport isn’t easy and requires a lot of time, motivation and energy, but the reward is always worth it,” she says. “Never let anyone underestimate you just based off your gender. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.”

Finding Her Place in Software Engineering

Her journey into Software Engineering came somewhat unexpectedly. Ayabonga had originally planned to study Architecture, but after being rejected from a university offering the course, she discovered Eduvos and decided to take a chance on Software Engineering.

Although gaming was already one of Ayabonga’s interests, she never considered herself particularly tech-savvy before pursuing Information Technology. “I never realised just how many career options there were available in IT and when I discovered Software Engineering it really piqued my interest and I decided to try it out.”

One of her proudest achievements so far has been putting her growing technical knowledge into practice by building her own custom PC. She built the PC to handle the demanding applications required for her studies, but it has also become the perfect setup for her gaming.

Building it herself gave her an opportunity to understand more about how computers work, while demonstrating the same problem-solving and determination that she brings to her studies and esports.

“I feel like I’ve made an impact by proving that even women can be interested and good at IT, learning how to code, and even gaming.”

For Ayabonga, seeing more women enter technology is an important part of the future. She has already encountered talented women in the field and hopes to see many more follow. “I hope to see more women dominating the Tech space. I’ve met so many smart and talented women already and I really hope to see more of it as time passes.”

Building Her Future

Her message is one that applies both on and off the playing field: keep learning, keep improving, and do not allow someone else’s assumptions to define what you can achieve.

As she continues working towards her career in Software Engineering and her dream of creating a game of her own, Ayabonga’s journey is a reminder that progress comes from being willing to try something new, putting in the work, and refusing to give up.

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