Three teams have emerged winners of the Microsoft South Africa safe@home hackathon. Winning a prize pool of eight thousand US Dollars.
Six teams made it to the final qualifying round of the hackathon competition. With three teams Combat against GBV, iWitness and Report Matters going on to win it. Coming in first, second and third places and winning $5000, $2000 and $1000 respectively.
Microsoft sponsored the Safe@home hackathon to discover technology-based solutions that can address gender-based violence. An issue that saw a dramatic rise during the mandatory quarantine period of covid-19 in South Africa.
Winning Team, Combat against GBV presented an educational and interactive solution made to educate women and children on GBV. Using services such as a Twitter bot, USSD, WhatsApp chatbot and Facebook messenger. The solution also informs people on how to take action, find and ask for help. Members of Team Combat against GBV include; Naomi Bisimwa, Christine Bisimwa, Carol Khose and Mosa Nkomo.
The winning solution will be developed into a full application to be owned and used by the campaign’s NGO partners 1000 Women and TEARS Foundation.
We have seen a wealth of creative and sustainable ideas from our developer teams who have grappled with the unique issues and challenges surrounding gender-based violence in South Africa, says Lillian Barnard, Managing Director of Microsoft South Africa. The winning solution would effectively be able to help South Africa’s most vulnerable and at-risk.
Watch the six finalist teams present their ideas at the finals.
Click to find out more about the competition.
Click to check out other stories making the news in the ecosystem across the region.
- LG introduces new ultraslim 2023 gram laptop models
- Microsoft collaborates with universities to improve their curriculum and facilitate direct hiring
- Samsung reveals new Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Book3 Pro 360 and Book3 Pro PCs
- How to Share GoPro Videos on Social Media
- Hisense introduces 110′ ULED X and 8K Laser TV at CES 2023
- Microsoft is offering a free Data Science course to help you with your Data Science Career
- ChatGPT – five useful ways you can use the AI chatbot
- Mecer Inter-Ed and Microsoft are giving 10 South African ladies the opportunity to break into tech
- New Microsoft Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways program brings 350 courses, 6 career certificates
- This 7-in-1 smart multi-plug outlet extender does it all
- Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Innovation Conference 2022
- My emotional attachment to Apple Watch Ultra
