#BuildwithAT #WeloveNerds #WomenInTech

Overview:

Africa’s Talking invites you to an inspiring Women in Technology hackathon themed Wildlife and Conservation Solutions! This event is all about leveraging technology to protect our natural heritage, safeguard endangered species, and promote sustainable coexistence with the environment. Using Africa’s Talking APIs (SMS, USSD, Voice, Airtime and Data, Insights, Chat and more), participants will build innovative solutions to track wildlife, engage communities in conservation, raise awareness, and support environmental action across Africa. It’s your chance to turn code into conservation impact while gaining hands-on experience and collaborating with brilliant minds.

Beyond coding, this hackathon is a platform to bridge technology with sustainability, sparking ideas that can directly support conservation organizations, empower communities, and strengthen Africa’s leadership in digital solutions for the environment. Whether it’s mobilizing communities through SMS campaigns, developing IoT-enabled wildlife tracking devices, or building education platforms to raise awareness, your work here will help shape a future where technology is a powerful ally in preserving our planet.

Why Attend?

• Protect Nature with Tech: Use your technical skills to directly impact conservation efforts and protect Africa’s biodiversity.

• Hands-On Learning: Get practical experience with Africa’s Talking APIs while solving real-world environmental challenges.
• Collaborate & Network: Work with like-minded innovators, conservationists, and developers passionate about wildlife and sustainability.
• Showcase Your Innovation: Pitch your solutions to expert judges and conservation stakeholders who can help scale your idea.
• Drive Social Impact: Contribute to solutions that benefit both wildlife and communities across Africa.

Key Focus Areas:

• Wildlife Tracking & Monitoring

• Develop IoT-enabled solutions to monitor animal movements, habitats, and threats in real time, sending instant updates via SMS or USSD.
• Anti-Poaching & Conservation Security
• Build alert systems powered by Africa’s Talking APIs to notify rangers and local communities of poaching risks, illegal logging, or other environmental threats.
• Community Engagement in Conservation
• Design platforms that connect local communities with conservation programs, enable SMS-based education campaigns, or mobilize volunteers and donations.
• Climate & Habitat Awareness
• Create apps and campaigns that raise awareness of climate change and habitat protection, integrating data sharing through mobile and voice platforms.
• Wildlife Tourism & Eco-Education
• Innovate digital tools that promote eco-tourism, provide educational resources on wildlife, or gamify conservation learning for schools and young people.
• Sustainable Resource Management
• Build solutions that help communities adopt sustainable practices—such as energy use, reforestation, or fishing quotas—linked with digital payment and reporting systems.

Target Attendees:

• Software Developers and Engineers

• Data Scientists and IoT Enthusiasts

• Innovators in Environmental Tech

• Entrepreneurs in Conservation & Sustainability
• Technologists seeking to combine tech with social and environmental good

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: Wildlife and Conservation 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 22nd September 2025, will receive a transport code to redeem for transport to and from the hackathon venue.