Last night, 6 October 2024, three software and application proposals won the day at the conclusion of the 2024 National Geekulcha Hackathon weekend. The much anticipated hackathon aimed to explore innovations in the provision of government services and find solutions to identified challenges and bottlenecks.

After the formalities and onboarding on Friday afternoon, 4 October 2024, the over two hundred young software developers had spent more than forty-eight gruelling hours, with little or no sleep, at the head offices of BCX, a Telkom subsidiary, in Centurion, Gauteng province.

Guided by the “HACK THE FUTURE: Solutions for a better tomorrow” theme and supported by industry mentors, the hackers were expected to produce mobile apps, websites, Internet of Things/Hardware solutions, data visualization dashboards, and present business cases that were assessed on five criteria:

  • Innovation and Approach: Is the problem statement well stated? Is proposed solution clear? Does the solution address the problem? Is the solution creative? Is the solution foresighted?
  • Security: Did the team build secure a design? Has user privacy been considered? Is the team aware of different risks and are measures being applied to avert this?
  • Social impact: Does the solution create impact in the society? How many jobs can it create? How does it improve citizens’ lives?
  • UI / UX and Usability: Does the solution look appealing? Does it show an ease of use? Is the user flow adequate? Is the design considerate of different audiences?
  • Business Case Presentation: Has the team presented the solution well, emulating a sound business structure? Did the team sell the solution well? Is the business model sustainable? Does the team show teamwork?

“The solutions that were presented are addressing a lot of challenges that the Public Service faces. These included an early warning system that collects data on behalf of Government, categorise it and highlight areas that need to be improved,” explained the Department of Public Service and Administration’s (DPSA) Ms Sibongile Moremi, who sat on the panel of judges.

A brainchild of the non-profit-organisation Geekulcha, which is a network of nearly 30 000 techies and innovators from across the African continent, the 2024 National Geekulcha Hackathon was co-hosted alongside the DPSA and the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPIS) at the tail end of the annual Integrated Public Service Month (IPSM).

“I must say that our expectations were exceeded by the hackers who have developed solutions for us as a department that is concerned about improving service delivery and the participation of citizens and social compacts,” said Ms Moremi.