Nedbank Hackathon calls on talented developers to help shape an inclusive future for SMEs
The primary focus of the Hackathon is on creating innovative AI-powered financial tools to help propel South African SMEs to new heights.
Financial inclusion is the cornerstone of meaningful and sustainable small business growth in South Africa.
For the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises to successfully expand, create employment opportunities, and further SA’s economic development, tailored, digitally advanced financial solutions are essential.
According to Chipo Mushwana, executive Emerging Innovation, Nedbank Retail, the retail industry aims to deliver these solutions in abundance at its 2023 Innovate Hackathon, to be held on December 1 and 2 at the Nedbank Rivonia Campus in Sandton.
“The Innovate Hackathon is hosted by Nedbank in partnership with Make.dev, a spinout of OfferZen. Make.dev specialises in creating developer experiences and opportunities for the SA developer community and helps businesses engage with the community in meaningful ways.”
Mushwana added that the Innovate Hackathon is an opportunity for the country’s talented developers to conceptualise, design, and deliver cutting-edge AI solutions to help drive the ambitions of small businesses in South Africa.
“We recognise the transformative potential of technology in addressing the unique challenges faced by small businesses, and this hackathon represents the tangible delivery of our commitment to foster an environment of creativity and practical solution development.”
She highlighted that participants would have the unique opportunity to access Nedbank’s banking APIs (application programming interface), including its leading PayShap API, to develop solutions that streamline the process of accessing financial services for small businesses and ensure a hassle-free experience when they open accounts or seek credit from the bank.
“The hope is that the participating developers will also produce some highly inventive financial management tools that can help SMEs effectively track their income, expenses, and profits and provide them with faster and safer payment alternatives that prioritise transactional ease.”
Aretha Cooper, co-founder of Make.dev, believes that by collaborating with Nedbank, Make.dev can support developers to contribute to the growth of the South African economy.
“The Innovate Hackathon provides a unique opportunity for the South African developer community to get access to the latest banking APIs and collectively build impactful SME solutions.”
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