#BuildwithAT #WeloveNerds #WomenInTech

Overview:

The Africa’s Talking Women in Technology Hackathon is an immersive, innovation-driven event that brings together developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts to create groundbreaking hardware-based solutions. With the increasing demand for IoT, remote monitoring, and automation, the integration of hardware with communication platforms has become pivotal in transforming industries. This hackathon provides a unique opportunity for participants to explore the seamless connectivity of hardware with Africa’s Talking APIs (SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime and Data, Insights, Chat and more). 

The focus of this hackathon is to bridge the gap between hardware and digital communication, opening doors to smarter applications across various sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, energy, and logistics. Through a combination of Africa’s Talking tools, innovation, and collaboration, participants will address real-world challenges in Kenya and beyond.

This event is not just about coding; it is about building tangible, real-world impact through technology. Developers, innovators, and hardware enthusiasts will collaborate, prototype, and deploy functional solutions that leverage Africa’s Talking’s robust APIs.

Why Attend?

• Hands-On Innovation: Get the unique opportunity to work with hardware and software in one project, bringing tangible solutions to life.

• Showcase Your Work: Demonstrate your prototype to judges and potential partners who could help scale your idea into a viable product.

• Solve Real Problems: Create impactful solutions for industries and communities, improving efficiency, safety, and accessibility.

• Expand Your Skills: Build experience in electronics, IoT, embedded systems, and product prototyping while collaborating with other women innovators.

• Practical API Integration: Learn to connect your hardware to Africa’s Talking APIs for real-world data collection, alerts, and automation.

Key Focus Areas:

• Agricultural Automation and Monitoring
• Remote soil and weather monitoring using sensors and Africa’s Talking APIs for real-time alerts.
• Automated pest detection systems that notify farmers via SMS or USSD.
• Healthcare Accessibility and Monitoring
• IoT-powered patient monitoring systems for remote areas.
• Smart medicine dispensers with USSD-based authentication for prescription adherence.
• Emergency alert systems using SMS and Voice APIs to connect patients with healthcare providers.
• Smart Energy Management
• IoT-based energy meters for efficient power consumption monitoring.
• Remote energy system control using Africa’s Talking IoT APIs.
• Solar power monitoring solutions with real-time data sharing via SMS.
• Logistics and Asset Tracking
• Real-time tracking of assets using GPS and SMS alerts.
• Smart inventory management systems for warehouses.
• Automated supply chain alerts for restocking and deliveries.

Target Attendees:

• A software developer eager to explore IoT applications.
• A hardware enthusiast interested in building automated systems.
• A startup founder looking to innovate in agriculture, healthcare, energy, or logistics.
• A student or tech enthusiast willing to learn and collaborate.

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: Hardware 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)

Submit your Idea:

• Hackathon idea submission form

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!

Transport:

• Those who register by Monday 25th August 2025, will receive a transport code to redeem for transport to and from the hackathon venue.