Join Africa’s Talking Women in Technology Uganda for a bold and visionary hackathon themed Hardware Solutions. This is your launchpad to explore the frontiers of innovation—harness Africa’s Talking APIs (SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime, Insights, and Chat) to build cutting-edge hardware and IoT solutions that push the boundaries of technology.

Whether you're developing smart agriculture tools, energy-saving systems, health monitoring devices, disaster response hardware, or community-driven connectivity solutions, this hackathon challenges you to reimagine what’s possible. Collaborate with brilliant minds, gain hands-on experience, and build futuristic tools that improve lives across Africa.

Why Attend?

Empower Women in Tech: Be part of an inclusive platform supporting women developers, data scientists, and innovators.

Hands-On Learning: Gain practical experience using Africa’s Talking APIs to integrate communication into real-world hardware projects.

Networking and Collaboration: Connect with mentors, industry experts, and peers.

Make an Impact: Build solutions tackling everyday challenges in agriculture, healthcare, climate resilience, energy, and communication.

Showcase Your Genius: Pitch your ideas to experts and get recognition for creativity and problem-solving.

We welcome you to the event hosted by Africa's Talking Women in Tech Uganda. 

Who Should Attend:

Software Developers

• Hardware and IoT Engineers
• UI/UX and Product Designers
• Data Scientists and AI/ML Engineers
• Innovators in Smart Agriculture, Health Tech, or Clean Energy
• Robotics and Electronics Enthusiasts
• All developers, from all fields, are welcome.

These diverse groups of attendees will bring a range of skills, perspectives, and ideas to the hackathon, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment for innovation.

All developers, from all fields, are welcome for the hackathon.

What to Expect as an Attendee:

• Cutting-Edge Tools and Technologies: Gain access to Africa's Talking APIs and SDKs, specifically designed to streamline implementation and ensure a seamless experience.

• Mentorship and Guidance: Collaborate closely with seasoned experts from Africa's Talking, who will serve as mentors throughout the hackathon. Benefit from their guidance, insights, and support as we build together.

• Expand Your Network: As a member of our community, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, potential collaborators, and industry professionals. Build valuable relationships that can propel your career or projects to new heights.

• Exciting Rewards and Recognition: Get a chance to win cash prizes and earn recognition for your innovative solutions. Get to receive accolades for your contributions through our social media, potential collaborators and other platforms.

Key Focus Areas:

• Smart Agriculture Hardware: Soil sensors, irrigation control, and crop monitoring linked to SMS/USSD alerts.
• Health Monitoring Devices: Low-cost wearables and diagnostics that communicate via Voice or SMS.
• Energy and Environment Solutions: Solar, power monitoring, and efficient energy-use systems.
• IoT for Disaster Response: Hardware that detects hazards and sends emergency alerts.
• Smart Campus and Smart Home: Access control, ID systems, or automation tools integrated with AT APIs.
• Women in Hardware Innovation: Devices and platforms that promote inclusion, mentorship, and visibility of women in tech.

Solution Criteria:

Use of Africa's Talking APIs: How effectively the project utilizes one or more of the Africa's Talking APIs i.e. SMS, USSD, Airtime, Voice, Insights, Chat.

Innovation: The originality and creativity of the project idea and implementation.

User Experience: How well the project meets user needs and provides an intuitive and seamless experience.

Functionality: How well the project performs the intended functionality and handles errors and edge cases.

Presentation: The clarity and effectiveness of the project demonstration and pitch.

Prizes.

The winning solution will receive cash prizes as follows:

• Winner - $100

• 1st Runners Up - $50

• 2nd Runners Up - $25

Agenda

• Registration and Welcome Breakfast
• Opening Remarks and Orientation
• Hackathon Kickoff
• Lunch Break
• Solution Presentations and Awarding of Prizes
• Networking and Closing

Solution Criteria

• Use of Africa's Talking APIs: Effective use of SMS, USSD, Airtime, Voice, Insights, or Chat.
• Innovation: Originality and creativity of the project idea and implementation.
• User Experience: Meeting user needs with intuitive and seamless design.
• Functionality: Reliable performance, handling of errors, and edge cases.
• Presentation: Clear and effective demonstration and pitch.

New to Africa's Talking?

Africa's Talking Community is a place where developers can learn and grow their skills for the modern-day African tech landscape. We are language and framework agnostic, welcoming all developers. This is where Africa's Talking developer community comes together to build, learn, and share knowledge.

We empower software developers and businesses to bring their ideas to life through our easy-to-use APIs.

• Explore our Developer Documentation (We welcome feedback)

• Join us and Contribute to Open Source

Join our community channels:

Join Africa's Talking Women In Tech Community here

Africa's Talking Africa's Talking Developer Community Uganda Twitter (X) page here

Africa's Talking Twitter (X) page here

Africa's Talking YouTube Channel here