Microsoft hosts Startups Summit in Cape Town

Microsoft hosts Startups Summit in Cape Town

Microsoft South Africa is hosting a Microsoft for Startups Summit – Cape Town meetup targetting founders, entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitals (VCs), accelerators, and their teams. The free event is in-person and will take place on December 1st. At the Innovation City Darter Studio, Longkloof, Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa.

The Microsoft Startups Summit – Cape Town event will offer attendees access to best practices and practical tools to evolve their venture and grow. It will enable networking opportunities and conversations among ecosystem players. As well as help accelerate innovation for first-time founders, serial entrepreneurs, or technical founders.

The invitation reads:

Every founder and startup is unique. Yet, there are common challenges that all founders face at different stages of their business journey, from validating ideas, accelerating the time to market to geo expansion, and gaining access to funding.

We are excited to present the Microsoft for Startups Meet-up Cape Town.

announcement details inviting start founders, developers VC to Microsoft Startups Summit - Cape Town event

This year, Microsoft announced new initiatives to accelerate the growth of 10,000 African startups and fast-track investment in Africa’s startup ecosystem over the next five years. Launching the Startups Founders Hub in Africa and partnering with accelerators and incubators to provide startups with access to markets, technical skills, and funding.

The startup summit agenda includes keynotes, fireside chats, breakout, networking, and cocktails sessions. There will also be a session on the startup journey with Microsoft from Founders Hub to Azure Marketplace. Speakers include Will Green Tech Founder- Grindstone, Ajay Lalu Co-Founder Q-HOP and David Rogers Founder and CEO, BancX.

Click to find out more details about the event and register to participate.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

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Here is what you should know about Microsoft Build 2021 May digital event

Here is what you should know about Microsoft Build 2021 May digital event

Microsoft Build 2021 digital event keynote

Registration for Microsoft Build 2021 is opened and it will be a completely free digital-only event. It will be in the form of a 48 hour long virtual interactive experience available across all the time zones. Microsoft’s developer-focused event will start from 3 PM GMT, 6 PM EAT, 5 PM SAT, May 25th to 27th 2021.

Like last year, Microsoft notes registration for Build is free but to get access to the full interactive content you’ll need to register. However, sessions covered on the hero video such as the keynotes will not require you to be registered. Event attendees will be able to customize 48 hours of continuous content to get their digital event experience. The event will have both live segments such as the keynotes, live technical sessions and Q&A. As well as already recorded content sessions.

Whether you are a student or an experienced app developer, you will gain action-ready skills specific to what you do through immersive experiences, engaging with community, and one-on-one guidance from Microsoft engineers.

To enjoy a total conference experience Microsoft advises you to register as most sessions will require you to sign in. Registration will give you the ability to schedule your viewing events or sessions. And to access the connection zone, one-to-one consultations with an expert, and other community and networking sessions.

Featured speakers for Build include Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, Amanda Silver, CVP Products, Developer tools, Donovan Brown, and Scott Guthrie EVP, Cloud and AI Group. Others speakers are Scott Hanselman, Kayla Cinnamon, Rajesh Jha, Kevin Scott, Anna Hoffman, Dona Sarkar, Christina Warren and more.

Click here to register and visit the Microsoft Build 2021 digital event page for more details.

Imagine Cup finals @ Microsoft Build 2021

Build 2021 will also host the finals of the 2021 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship. Where Team REWEBA from Kenya alongside three other teams across the globe will present and showcase their solutions for a chance to win the competition.

What to expect?

  • Keynotes: Headlines and announcements delivered by executives
  • Technical/Breakout Sessions: More in-depth coverage of keynote content
  • Ask the Experts: Sessions with experts in cloud, desktop, mobile, and web development for guidance specific to your project or interests. 
  • Humans of IT: Discover the intersection between humanity and tech through inspirational stories about humans who use tech for good.
  • Table TopicsGather the community for live discussion on camera, and in chat! Get inspired by community experts, learn best practices, and discover helpful resources with other attendees.
  • Local Connections: Opportunity to engage with attendees on a local level. Dedicated time for local leadership to deliver an experience to help attendees find developers and experts with similar interests within their region.
  • Student Activities: Content covers key topics to help you get started across a variety of Microsoft technologies, job roles, and interests.
  • Learn Live: Guided online with a subject matter expert to walk and talk through Microsoft Learn modules​.
  • Partner Sessions: Connect with Microsoft Partners in either an Ask the Expert or Table Topics session
  • Product Roundtables: Two-way discussions between product teams and customers
  • Cloud Skills Challenge: Complete preset collections of online learning modules for a chance to win prizes.
  • One-on-One Consultations: One-on-One Consultations will provide Microsoft Build attendees a unique opportunity to connect with a Microsoft professional to discuss specific questions and solutions. Sessions are 45 minutes long and provide the only one-on-one setting at the conference.

Like previous Microsoft Build events stay tuned and we will bring you the keynote livestream and announcements from the event.

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GitHub hosts first event for developers in Africa

GitHub hosts first event for developers in Africa

GitHub event Africa developer

Social coding and software development platform, GitHub, announces its first-ever event for developers in Africa.

The event will be in the form of a virtual meetup and will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, from 3 pm to 5 pm WAT or 6 pm to 8 am EAT.

The event will kickstart a series of monthly online meetups geared towards building a vibrant community in the region. The meetups will inform on the latest GitHub workflows, latest features and how one can contribute to Open Source.

The events will feature speakers from GitHub as well as other prominent Open Source maintainers from Africa.

Click to sign up and be part of the first GitHub event in Africa.

Last year, GitHub CEO, Nat Freidman, visited Nigeria and Ghana to meet with developers and entrepreneurs. Learning about how “GitHub can be of service” as Microsoft, GitHub’s parent company broadens its horizons as a developer-centric company. He also shared that GitHub will be looking to hire remote developers from Africa soon.

Developers on the African continent have become one of the major contributors to the GitHub platform. With Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria recognized as the fastest-growing countries by open-source repositories created.

In the 2018 GitHub Octoverse regional report, Nigeria represented the fourth fastest-growing developer community on GitHub. With 1.6x as many contributors in 2018 than in 2017.

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Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.

Microsoft introduces StartDevChange event for beginners in tech

Microsoft introduces StartDevChange event for beginners in tech

beginners in tech

Microsoft is introducing a two-day virtual event aimed at beginners in tech. The event dubbed Start. Dev. Change. targets beginners that are looking to learn new software development skills.

The virtual event is scheduled to take place on October 14 and 15 starting at 3 pm GMT each day.

The Start. Dev. Change. sessions, Microsoft says will be applicable to anyone who wants to learn code. With basic computer skills being the only requirement needed. The virtual event will feature introductory level sessions on code development and no-code development tools such as Microsoft Power Platform.

The sessions will include training on multiple programming languages, intro to databases, intro to cloud, cybersecurity, power apps, power automate, power BI, etc.

Our goal is to enhance your technical skills by setting you up for success with the right tools to help you improve in your current job. Or prepare you to change careers and move into a technical role.

The event designed for beginners in tech will feature Microsoft Partner Program Manager, Scott Hanselman, as the keynote speaker. Other speakers include Microsoft Cloud Advocates April Speight, Cecil Phillip, Cassie Breviu and Dona Sakar.

RSVP to participate in the event and check the event page for other resources to get you started.

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Join the 2020 Power Platform online conference

Join the 2020 Power Platform online conference

power platform online conference 2020

UPDATE: Watch the Microsoft Power Platform Online Conference 2020

Microsoft will be hosting an online conference for its power platform on March 20th. The event will feature nine hours of live training and tutorial sessions. Led by Power Platform Senior Platform Evangelist Jon Levesque, Microsoft MVP’s and other trainers.

Formerly known as the Flow Conference, the event will bring you insights into Microsoft’s power automation tools. That’s power BI, Power apps, power automate and Power Virtual Agents. The sessions will cover subjects from beginner to advance levels.

The day will consist of 18, 30 minute sessions covering every tool in the platform. From beginner all the way to advanced content. No matter what your skill set is, you will be able to get valuable insights and new skills to help take your Flow game to the next level.

The invitation reads, “join us for a fun day of laughs and learning, right from the comfort of your own living room or office!”

Click to register and plan to participate in the 2020 Power Platform online conference.

Check out last years Microsoft Flow Online Conference below on what to expect.

Microsoft is planning a Power Platform Tour in Ghana, Kenya, etc. sometime in April this year. We will bring you updates on this. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the details when they are released.

Follow the event conversation online using the hashtag #LessCodeMorePower or #PPOC2020.

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