Esri South Africa, in partnership with Tshimologong Precinct and Gauteng Provincial Government, invites students enrolled in a Gauteng-based academic institution interested in interactive and dynamic mapping, building custom apps, big data, trending technology and community initiatives to participate in the Future Cities Hackathon – Creating Sustainable Cities.
About the Future Cities Hackathon – Creating Sustainable Cities.
In South Africa, cities face challenges such as unemployment, load shedding, poverty, and climate change. However, the hackathon aims to explore ways of utilising spatial technology to improve South Africa citizens’ lives and leverage the city’s geospatial data and resources to provide new solutions to these problems.
Furthermore, Patrick McKivergan, Esri South Africa Managing Director, stated that the hackathon would focus on how Esri technology can benefit South African communities and improve service delivery, which is critical for efficiently running a well-functioning city. In addition, the hackathon contestants will develop their solutions on the Esri platform, using developmental and data toolkits provided by Esri South Africa.
According to Carol Jaji from Tshimologong Precinct, “Hackathons can provide a unique opportunity to help South African cities by bringing together diverse groups of individuals to collaborate and innovate on solutions to plan and improve service delivery. The Future Cities Hackathon seeks to contribute to creating more liveable, inclusive, and sustainable cities that effectively meet the needs of all citizens. By leveraging technology, data, and community input, Tshimologong will help identify and address key challenges facing South African cities, such as transportation, energy, housing, and healthcare.”
Nonetheless, the Gauteng Provincial Government will majorly supply the datasets through the Gauteng City Region Integrated Geospatial Data Platform. In addition, the Director of GIS Gauteng Province, Celiwe Kgowedi, stated that data would be vital to building an application to enhance service delivery and improve the quality of people’s lives.
Prizes
- Ist Place – USD 1,683 (ZAR 30,000) to contribute towards academic fees or hardware;
- 2nd Place – USD 561 (ZAR 10,000); and
- 3rd Place – USD 281 ( ZAR 5,000).
Furthermore, the winning ideas may also be implemented in conjunction with Esri South Africa (PTY) Ltd.
How to Apply
Interested students must register via the Esri South Africa website by 12 May 2023.
For more information on the Future Cities Hackathon – Creating Sustainable Cities, contact:
- Verosha Naidoo: 011 238 6300; verosha@esri-southafrica.com;
- Carol Jaji: +27 10 822 3530; carol@tshimologong.joburg; and
- Celine.Kgowedi: 011 298 5603; Celiwe.Kgowedi@gauteng.gov.za.
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