DSF member of the month - Anna Makarudze
Due to the Malcolm Tredinnick Memorial Prize announcement in September, we paused our regular DSF Member of the Month feature for that month.
For October 2025, we welcome Anna Makarudze as our DSF member of the month! ⭐
Anna is a Django Girls+ Trustee and has dedicated years to growing Django globally. She served as DSF President and founded DjangoCon Africa, helping expand Django's reach in the world. She has been a DSF member since August 2016. You can learn more about Anna by visiting Anna's Linkedin profile and her GitHub Profile.
Let’s spend some time getting to know Anna better!
Can you tell us a little about yourself (hobbies, education, etc)
I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe, many years ago (2009). I am now pursuing an MSc in Software Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden, courtesy of a scholarship from the Swedish Institute. I have completed numerous courses for various IT certifications over the years, most of which have expired. I have also taken management courses to keep upskilling myself, as I enjoy learning.
Regarding hobbies, I enjoy baking, especially trying out new cake and pastry recipes for fun; it's my favourite way to relax after busy or stressful times. I also enjoy walking, particularly in areas with lush greenery and natural beauty, but my fear of snakes and creepy crawlies limits my solo adventures into the woods. My fear of snakes is justified; my family home (parents’) is located within a very natural reserve with many indigenous trees and forests, close to Lake Kyle in Masvingo. Although the area is stunning, it does have snakes and other wildlife such as hippopotamuses and crocodiles (if you go too close to the lake). I have encountered snakes many times at my parents’ house because of the numerous trees, so I have learnt to avoid them as most are venomous. Additionally, being African, a fear of these creatures and death is instinctive for me. I also enjoy listening to music, reading books, and occasionally watching a good film.
How did you start using Django?
I learnt Python in 2015 through Treehouse as part of a scholarship from Muzinda Hub’s Entrepreneurship training. We were expected to develop a Python project at the end of the three-month course, and I chose to use Flask. A friend of mine, Humphrey Butau, used Django, and he encouraged me to try it. After that, I was hooked.
What other framework do you know and if there is anything you would like to have in Django if you had magical powers?
I also know Flask, and recently, through school assignments, I have had to use Express JS. If I had magical powers, I would want Django to support NoSQL databases like MongoDB out of the box, just as it supports SQL databases. I have been working with the django-mongodb-backend and realised that it works if you either download their template or do some extra work to be able to run the default Django migrations.
What projects are you working on now?
As part of my Master’s studies, I am actually working on quite a number of projects for the two courses I am currently taking (until 31st October). For the Software Evolution and Maintenance course, we have been working on Home Assistant, which is also based on Python. We are working on a fork, though, so that we don’t flood the upstream with pull requests from Python, but it has been amazing seeing all the integrations available in it. My group and I chose to work on the Google Tasks integration. I will likely want to continue experimenting with Home Assistant even after the course ends.
For the Cloud Computing and Big Data Analysis course I am undertaking, I have recently completed two projects: one involving provisioning and orchestration of two RESTful Django microservices with Kubernetes, and another focused on Big Data Analysis using Express JS. Currently, I am working on implementing monitoring for an application that utilises Clojure and a MongoDB database, although I intend to develop the monitoring in Python.
Besides that, I am personally developing a MongoDB version of a Conveyances app I created several years ago, which was built using Django, Django Rest Framework, Vue, and Postgres. The app had nested data due to the restrictions of a SQL database structure, so I want to experiment with NoSQL to see how simpler it would be. I had meant to do this before DjangoCon Africa and present a talk on it, but the toll of organising a conference blocked me, so I am finally working on it now.
What are you learning about these days?
I am currently learning about cloud computing and Big Data, with a focus on provisioning and orchestrating Big Data Analysis cloud architectures. I am also learning how to improve and monitor the performance of these systems in terms of CPU, memory, and storage utilisation.
Which Django libraries are your favourite (core or 3rd party)?
My favourite Django core libraries are the Django ORM and Django Admin. They make it very easy to set up a functional website with minimal effort. The ORM simplifies database connections and queries, and Django Admin provides a ready-to-use backend admin interface. My favourite third-party library is Django Rest Framework. It makes creating RESTful APIs with Django quick and straightforward.
What are the top three things in Django that you like?
The top three things that I like in Django are the management commands, migrations and the authentication systems. I like how the management commands make it so easy to quickly automate stuff, whether it's the default Django management commands or if you have written your own. Django migrations do the work for you in terms of making changes to the database, and you need not worry about writing the SQL statements.
The authentication system is fairly basic, but it can get you started with minimal effort on your part. This makes Django fulfil its tagline of being “The framework for perfectionists with deadlines”. I have used it in most of my projects for my Master’s programme, where we were chasing deadlines, and it always turned out to be true.
You were previously a board member and President of the Django Software Foundation, what would you suggest to someone wondering if they should take this role or being part of the board?
Being part of the Django Software Foundation board is an excellent way to contribute to the Django community, as you can shape and influence important decisions related to Django and its ecosystem. While the DSF Board does not dictate the technical direction of Django, it does influence how those who impact the technical direction are selected or governed.
As President, you also have the chance to implement your ideas on the future of the Django community, the staff who maintain Django, and the direction of Django events. Although it may require more of your time than being an ordinary member due to additional responsibilities, it is a valuable opportunity to develop and strengthen your leadership skills.
Anyone who uses Django, even if they haven't contributed code but have attended or organised Django events, can be part of the DSF board. I joined the DSF board at the end of 2017 for 2018, after using Django for just over two years, so you need not worry about your level of experience. All you need is your commitment and a clear plan of what you hope the DSF board should achieve during your term.
You were the chair of DjangoCon Africa this year, what do you think is required to organize a conference like this? Why do you think this is important conference like DjangoCon Africa?
Organising a conference like DjangoCon Africa requires substantial community engagement, significant time, effort, and resilience. Firstly, Africa differs from other continents in many ways. In some aspects, these differences are advantageous, while in others, they present challenges. Technologically, Africa is a greenfield; there is ample opportunity for technological advances, and we have the population to pursue this, meaning most of our attendees are eager to learn and contribute to the community. We also have the “Ubuntu” community spirit ingrained within us, which makes our DjangoCon Africa events feel like home.
However, this presents a significant challenge regarding funding, as there are not many successful Django-based startups capable of financing an event as large as DjangoCon Africa. Our colonial history as a continent creates major obstacles to international financial transactions, mainly due to numerous structural barriers. This makes it notably harder for corporate sponsors without local offices to offer sponsorship.
Despite these challenges, I believe it is essential to organise DjangoCon Africa because it is the only continent where many Africans can travel visa-free or without restrictions. My first DjangoCon events were in Europe and then the US, and I have faced numerous visa applications each time I needed to travel. Within Africa, I can visit many countries visa-free. Once I arrive, I am often mistaken for a local until I speak, and then I am limited to speaking English, not their local language. DjangoCon Africa's programme is curated specifically for Africans, featuring talks suited to their level of understanding and offering numerous beginner workshops to help them get started, while also catering for mid-level and advanced programmers.
DjangoCon Africa takes over a year to plan, which demands a significant time commitment. When we are halfway through organising it, I ask myself why I keep getting into trouble by arranging a DjangoCon. After each event, I feel tired and exhausted but incredibly fulfilled because of the impact I can see we have achieved from that single occasion. While other events are more polished and well-established, DjangoCon Africa has only hosted two events so far and remains far from perfect, yet I still sense its impact despite all the imperfections. One can only truly understand the feeling of being at DjangoCon Africa if they have attended it.
I know you are a Django Girls+ Trustee, could you tell us a bit more about Django Girls+ and how we could be involved in Django Girls if we are interested?
Django Girls Foundation is a non-profit that empowers women+ to organise free programming workshops for women+ by providing the resources they need. Django Girls+ workshops are one or two-day events where participants are exposed to web development using Python and Django using our popular, beginner-friendly Django Girls Tutorial, which is open source. The participants get to learn at their own pace with the help of coaches.
We also have several open-source resources to help our volunteers run and organise our workshops: the Organiser Manual, Coach Manual, Organiser FAQs and Tutorial Extensions. In the 11 years that Django Girls+ has existed, (put some statistics + links)
There are several ways to get involved with Django Girls+. One can apply to organise a workshop in their city or become a coach at one of our events. They can also contribute to all the resources mentioned above, as well as our open-source website. They can also contribute financially by supporting us through Patreon, donating via PayPal or GitHub Sponsors (put links). If they are corporates, they can reach out to me as the Fundraising Coordinator and we can discuss a partnership. (link to fundraising email).
Django is celebrating its 20th anniversary, do you have a nice story to share?
Being part of the Django community since 2016 has been a blessing in my life. I have travelled to many countries for Python and Django conferences, forming many meaningful friendships that have become essential to me. I have contributed to Django in many ways, and in return, Django has given me so much. I have been able to showcase my leadership qualities through the Django community, and I am grateful to them for allowing me to be myself and celebrate my identity as an African woman who’s passionate about coding and community.
One of my favourite memories from DjangoCon Europe 2018 is taking a pedal boat ride with my good friend Jessica Upani in Heidelberg, right after DjangoCon Europe 2018. We had previously visited a castle, and it had been lovely. While on the boat, Jessica, true to her nature, kept laughing and not taking our safety seriously, while I, on the other hand, was panicking that we might capsize. We had no life jackets, and I was sure I wouldn’t swim well in the river. When we disembarked, I felt relieved and told her I was worried we would capsize and I wouldn’t be able to swim, and she admitted she was worried too. Who does that? With that, I say happy 20th birthday to Django. I have so many fond memories to share from the Django community.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
The Django community has put in a lot of work to make the environment welcoming for beginners and for everyone, especially minorities. I have made many genuine friends over the years, whom I am always excited to meet again at various community events. I am one of those people who came for the framework and stayed for the community, and I would like to see this continue.
Thanks so much to all the work the DSF board members (past and present) have done all these years. Things move slowly in Djangoland, as Carlton Gibson likes to say, but it has been a great pleasure watching every board build on what the previous boards have started, and I hope to see that continue. Special thanks to all the working groups, members and volunteers that support the DSF - Django is great because of you.
Thank you for doing the interview, Anna !
