Hack.Jozi Challenge to better Joburg
JOBURG - The City of Joburg will give their innovator finalists R5-million worth of start-up support to aid them in developing a better Joburg.
The Hack.Jozi Challenge is a platform that allows Joburg’s most promising entrepreneurs, who have been placed into 50 teams, the chance to develop Joburg through the creation of applications, games to showcase African culture and other digital solutions to enhance a visit to the city.
Digital entrepreneurs jumped at the chance to enter the challenge, submitting short videos that briefly explained their digital concept.
The Hack.Jozi Challenge is an initiative between the City of Johannesburg and the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering at Wits University.
The main aim of the initiative is to create and find the most visionary people in the ICT sector to contribute towards economic growth and development of the city, as well as the country.
The winners of the challenge receive a range of life-changing opportunities, including R5 million in funding to take their innovation from a concept to reality, participation in a month-long training programme with Seed Academy, as well as hosting and mentoring at Jozi’s new innovation hub in Braamfontein.
“We are doing this because ICT is central to improving productivity, economic growth and job creation. We have an excellent business and research capacity which, combined with the fact that we are a young city with a young population, will create the perfect environment for us to develop advanced ICT products and services,” said Ravi Naidoo, executive director for economic development, which oversees the Challenge Fund and other similar City programmes.
