South African Innovation Week Hackathon begins in Gqeberha to promote technology solutions
Date: 2026-03-16
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
hackathon for South African Innovation Week has officially commenced at the
Fairview Centre in Gqeberha, bringing together innovators and technology
entrepreneurs to develop scalable digital solutions.
The
event is being hosted in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology
and Innovation, the Technology Innovation Agency, and T3 Incubation as part of
efforts to strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Participants
in the hackathon are engaging in a series of intensive sessions aimed at
transforming ideas into functional technology prototypes. Activities include
business model development workshops focused on identifying customer segments,
revenue streams and cost structures, as well as rapid “prove or pivot” pitch
sessions designed to evaluate the technical viability of proposed innovations.
Teams
are also taking part in prototyping sprints using equipment available at the T3
Living Lab to develop working models of their solutions. The programme will
conclude with final demonstrations where participants will present their
innovations in short pitches before judges select the winning teams.
Organisers
say the initiative is designed to encourage local innovation while equipping
participants with the skills and resources needed to refine their technology
ideas and prepare their startups for market opportunities.
