$8000, Microsoft announces safe@home hackathon winners

safe@home hackathon microsoft south africa winners

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.