Sne Dlamini has been nominated for the 2026 CIO Awards, recognising her work as vice president of technology and digital at AECI and her recent appointment as group chief information and digital officer (GCIDO) at Sasol, according to CIO South Africa.
Why the nomination matters
The CIO Awards are billed as the industry’s marquee event — described by the organiser as the “Oscars of IT” — and the recognition highlights leaders who shape corporate technology strategy. For many South Africans who budget tightly for mobile data and digital services, leadership choices at the top of major companies influence which technologies are prioritised, how digital services are delivered, and how investments are directed across sectors such as mining, chemicals, insurance and consumer goods.
Dlamini’s profile reflects a fast-moving career within both local and multinational firms. She joined AECI in 2024 and, after holding senior IT roles including chief information officer at Discovery Insure and head of IT at Danone South Africa, she was most recently appointed GCIDO at Sasol. Her early career began as a systems analyst at Sivelele IT Solutions.
Qualifications and career path
The nomination also points to the combination of technical and business training that many technology leaders now hold. Dlamini’s academic credentials listed by CIO South Africa include a MBA from Regenesys, a BCom honours in information systems and technology and a BSc in information technology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
| Role | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Systems analyst | Sivelele IT Solutions |
| Head of IT | Danone South Africa |
| Chief information officer | Discovery Insure |
| Vice president: Technology and Digital | AECI |
| Group chief information and digital officer (GCIDO) | Sasol |
Event and context
The 2026 nominees will be celebrated during a gala ceremony at The Inanda Club in Sandton on 25 November 2026, CIO South Africa reported. Organisers said the awards build on the success of the fifth annual ceremony in 2025 and continue to shine a spotlight on achievements in IT.
- What the awards recognise: senior IT leaders and teams across public and private sectors for strategic impact and innovation.
- What a nomination indicates: visibility among peers and potential influence on corporate technology agendas.
- What to watch: announcements from nominees about digital programmes, which may signal shifts in investment or customer-facing services.
The profile released with the nomination makes clear that Dlamini’s career spans operational and strategic technology roles. That mix — practical systems experience combined with business-focused qualifications — is increasingly common among executives who must balance legacy systems, regulatory requirements and expectations for faster digital services.
For South Africans following the technology sector, the CIO Awards offer a way to track which leaders and companies are being recognised for steering digital transformations. While a nomination alone does not detail specific projects or budgets, it does signal that an executive’s work has resonated with industry peers and judges.
Further details on the awards categories, judges or shortlisted projects were not provided in the report from CIO South Africa beyond the nomination list and event date.
The ceremony at The Inanda Club will be among the key industry moments this year where technology chiefs meet, compare notes and outline priorities that could affect everything from workplace digitisation to customer apps and supply-chain systems across South Africa’s corporate sector.
