Long before she understood what software development was, Mpumelelo Chaincomo was captivated by computers.

As a primary school learner, she remembers sitting in front of a computer for the first time, experimenting with fonts, creating simple documents and discovering that pressing a button could make something happen on a screen. What began as childhood curiosity eventually became a career in technology and today, a platform for leadership, mentorship and authorship.

Chaincomo, a Platform Delivery Lead at Vista Group and author of Code, Courage & Healing, has built a career that extends well beyond software. Alongside leading teams, she mentors young women into technology and uses her writing to encourage others to see setbacks as chapters rather than conclusions.

Looking back, she believes curiosity has been the thread connecting every stage of her journey.

“I discovered that software development was an actual career and realised that someone was responsible for building the applications and systems I interacted with every day,” she says. “I no longer just wanted to use technology. I wanted to understand it, build it and solve problems through it.”

While her career has been shaped by technology, her leadership has been shaped by something far more personal.

For years, Chaincomo believed resilience meant simply pushing through difficult circumstances. She navigated grief, traumatic experiences and personal challenges while remaining focused on building her career. Eventually, however, she realised that determination alone was not enough.

“I reached a point where I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognise the Mpumelelo I knew,” she says. “That became the defining moment in my life because I finally admitted to myself, ‘You’re not okay.’”

Choosing therapy and committing to her own healing transformed not only her perspective on life but also her understanding of courage.

“Courage isn’t only about pushing through difficult circumstances. Sometimes it’s about having the honesty to ask for help and the willingness to begin finding your way back.”

Those lessons became the foundation of Code, Courage & Healing. Rather than writing a memoir, Chaincomo wanted to start a broader conversation about healing, purpose and the stories people tell themselves after experiencing hardship.

“My hope is that people come away knowing that setbacks, disappointments and failures don’t have to define the rest of their lives,” she says. “They are chapters, not the entire story.”

As both an engineer and an author, she sees an interesting connection between software development and personal growth.

“In many ways, healing became my own form of re-coding,” she explains. “We can recognise limiting beliefs, rewrite the stories we’ve been telling ourselves and create healthier ways of thinking.”

That philosophy influences the way she leads.

Having received Vista Group’s People’s Choice Award and multiple workplace nominations, Chaincomo says recognition has never been the goal. Instead, she focuses on creating environments where people feel safe to learn, ask questions and make mistakes.

She recalls a new team member making a significant error in a client environment. Rather than treating it as a failure, Chaincomo turned it into a learning opportunity for the entire team by demonstrating the process before inviting the employee to repeat it while colleagues observed.

“My goal wasn’t to point out what had gone wrong. It was to turn one person’s mistake into a learning opportunity for the whole team.”

She believes empathy is one of the most undervalued leadership skills.

“Leadership begins with making people feel heard,” she says. “Not every conversation requires a solution. Sometimes people simply need someone to listen.”

That same commitment to helping others grow extends beyond her day job. For years, Chaincomo has mentored young women interested in technology, introducing them to coding and encouraging them to pursue careers in an industry where women remain underrepresented.

“I remembered being the young girl who was fascinated by computers,” she says. “I knew there were many others with the same curiosity but without the same exposure or access.”

For Chaincomo, mentorship is about much more than technical skills. It is about helping young women recognise possibilities they may never have considered for themselves.

“They don’t lack potential. They often lack exposure and someone to believe in them.”

Having often found herself as the youngest person in the room or the only woman at the table, she understands the self-doubt that can accompany those experiences. Rather than allowing them to diminish her confidence, they strengthened her conviction that representation matters.

As technology continues to evolve, Chaincomo believes the professionals who will thrive are not necessarily those with the strongest technical skills, but those who remain curious and willing to keep learning.

“I don’t think my growth has been defined by any single promotion or job title,” she says. “It’s been shaped by a willingness to stay curious, keep learning and remain open to change.”

Reflecting on her own career, she remembers graduating into a season filled with rejection. Despite applying for countless technology roles, opportunities were slow to come and she briefly considered careers outside the industry.

Those setbacks ultimately reinforced her sense of purpose.

“Technology wasn’t just a career choice for me. It was something I genuinely loved,” she says. “Sometimes the vision remains long before the opportunity arrives.”

Today, success looks very different from when she first entered the workforce. While career progression still matters, she now measures success through purpose, personal growth and the impact she leaves on others.

“Success is learning to love myself,” she says. “It’s showing up for myself with the same compassion I so freely give to other people.”

Looking ahead, Chaincomo hopes to help build a technology industry that is more inclusive, more empathetic and more intentional about developing future leaders. More than anything, she hopes every young woman considering a career in technology believes she belongs there.

“There will be moments when you’re the youngest person in the room or the only woman at the table,” she says. “But belonging isn’t something that other people give you. It’s something you choose to believe about yourself.”

Her message is one she hopes will stay with readers long after they finish her story.

“Own every room you walk into because your voice matters, your ideas matter and your perspective matters.”