At the annual MTN Business Hackathon in October, hundreds of local app developers participated with the goal of creating apps that address some of the specific social issues facing South Africa.
The top participants from the most recent MTN Business Hackathon squared off for the coveted title in the Hackathon category of this year’s MTN Business App of the Year Awards.
This yearly platform offers a chance to support aspiring app developers from all over the continent, giving thousands of our young people who are enthusiastic about developing digital solutions a bright future.
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The yearly 6-week MTN Business App Academy, the Hackathon, and the App of the Year Awards are all essential for promoting local business owners and showcasing cutting-edge solutions to problems in the ICT sector in South Africa.
To close the digital skills gap in Africa, the Future DX team from Mafikeng in the North West created Thutofy, an online learning platform that offers courses in digital skills with integrated AI.
With its portfolio of evidence for CVs, job recommendations, and gamification with incentives to drive learning and lower unemployment, the app targets unemployed graduates, young people, and professionals.
The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), which is spearheading efforts to create solutions that will support the nation’s long-term sustainability, sponsored this category.
Now that innovative solutions have been developed locally, EWSETA can use them to solve other social issues in the nation as well as to enhance the development of skills in the preservation, use, and management of energy and water in South Africa.
“Congratulations to Thato Semenya and Letlhogonolo Korasi from Future DX, who utilised their planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of a social problem to develop this innovative solution. Their dedication, ingenuity, and hard work are a testament to the vibrant spirit of innovation within the tech community in South Africa and we look forward to seeing their continued success and contributions to the world of technology,” says Candice Moodley, Corporate Services Executive for EWSETA.
In addition to helping somewhat to reduce what has turned into one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world, empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs in the digital sphere also supports an economy that can offer practical solutions to rekindle our nation.
“At EWSETA, we strive to cultivate and deliver a culture of innovation in the energy and water sector which we serve. There remains tremendous potential for digital solutions to address a variety of challenges across a broad range of industries, and EWSETA is proud to play a part in discovering some of the brightest app development minds in the country through this initiative,” says Candice Moodley.
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What EWSETA does
The Energy & Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA) is an authority on skills development serving the energy and water sectors based in South Africa.
In order to effectively address South Africa’s triple challenge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, skills development must be prioritised. This calls for a concerted effort involving multiple stakeholders, supported by high-quality research that aims to inform the sector’s skills development planning.
Funding for Mandatory Grants is available to employers in the energy and water sectors who approve their annual WSP and ATR and who pay a skills development levy.
Funding for discretionary grants is authorised by the board and is contingent upon a rigorous evaluation of applications submitted during the designated window for applications.
The EWSETA funds learning initiatives in line with the priorities for skill development outlined in the Sector Skills Plan, which is updated yearly.