#BuildwithAT #WeloveNerds #WomenInTech

Overview:

Join Africa’s Talking for an exciting Women in Technology Hackathon themed 2G Meets AI Solutions! This hackathon challenges participants to combine the power of Artificial Intelligence with the accessibility and reach of Africa’s Talking APIs (SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime and Data, Insights, Chat and more), to create solutions that work for everyone, whether they have a smartphone, a feature phone, or limited internet access.

Using technologies such as SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime, Payments, and Generative AI, participants will build innovative applications that bring intelligent services to millions of people across Africa. From AI-powered advisory systems and virtual assistants to smart customer support and personalized learning platforms, this hackathon is your opportunity to explore how AI can become more inclusive, accessible, and impactful when combined with communication technologies that reach every corner of the continent.

Why Attend?

• Build the Future of Accessible AI: Create solutions that bring the benefits of AI to communities regardless of device type or internet access.

• Learn by Building: Gain practical experience combining Generative AI with Africa’s Talking APIs to solve real-world challenges.

• Explore Cutting-Edge Technologies: Work with AI agents, LLMs, SMS, Voice, USSD, and cloud technologies in one project.

• Collaborate with Innovators: Connect with women technologists, builders, and entrepreneurs passionate about creating impactful solutions.

• Showcase Your Innovation: Present your solution to industry experts and demonstrate how AI and communication technologies can work together to transform lives.

Key Focus Areas:

• AI-Powered SMS & USSD Assistants

  Build intelligent assistants that provide information, recommendations, and support through SMS and USSD, making AI accessible without requiring smartphones or internet connectivity.

• Voice AI for Inclusive Access

  Develop voice-based AI solutions that help users access services, information, and support through phone calls and voice interactions.

• AI for Agriculture, Health, and Education

  Create solutions that leverage AI to deliver personalized advice, diagnostics, learning resources, or recommendations through Africa’s Talking communication channels.

• Smart Customer Support Systems

  Build AI-powered customer service platforms that use SMS, Voice, or WhatsApp to provide automated responses, issue resolution, and user assistance.

• AI-Driven Financial Services

  Design intelligent tools that help users manage savings, budgeting, lending, or financial literacy through mobile-first channels and Africa’s Talking Payments APIs.

• Agentic Systems with Real-World Actions

  Develop AI agents capable of interacting with Africa’s Talking APIs to send messages, trigger workflows, make payments, or automate processes based on user requests.

Target Attendees:

The hackathon is open to anyone passionate about hardware, software, IoT, and API integration. This is for:

• Software Developers and Engineers

• Data Scientists and IoT Enthusiasts

• People Interested in Generative AI and Agentic Systems

• Anyone Passionate About Digital Inclusion and Social Impact

• DevOps and Cloud Engineers

Then this hackathon is for you!

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.

• Exposure to other women in tech opportunities.

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.

New to Africa's Talking? Get started here.

Publish on Africa's Talking Marketplace

Marketplace : Publish your plugin/app for our customer and Call Back as a Service

Developer Documentation (We welcome feedback)

THEME: 2G meets AI Solutions

The winning solution will receive cash prizes as follows:

• Winner - $100

• 1st Runners Up - $50

• 2nd Runners Up - $25

Social Media give-aways too!

More exclusive prizes and giveaways to attendees.

Contribute to open-source.

Agenda:

1. Introductions

2. Overview

• Technical hands-on session

3. Ideation

• Form teams where need be.

• Feedback

4. Building/hacking: Code in GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket and deploy in Docker/Automated CI/Travis CI/Bamboo

5. Demonstration and Wrap-up

• Teams or individuals will demonstrate what they have hacked for feedback or adoption.

Note: Carry a laptop

Opportunities:

• Network

• Innovate

• Access to our Talent bench (You can get a job or a gig on the spot)

Join our community channels:

• Community Page:

  • Join Africa's Talking Women In Tech Community here

• Twitter (X):

  • Follow Our Page on X here

Africa's Talking powers communications solutions across Africa with simplified access to telco infrastructure, developers use our powerful SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime and Data, Insights, and Chat APIs to bring their ideas to life, as they build and sustain scalable businesses.

Africa's Talking community allows developers to learn skills for the modern-day African Developer. We are language and framework agnostic. All developers are welcome. This is where Africa's Talking developers community meets to build, learn and exchange knowledge.

We are helping software developers and businesses to bring their ideas to life through easy-to-use APIs quickly.

Would you like to partner with us? Kindly contact the Women in Technology Team. 

Everyone is welcome!