To address the fact that less than 25% of technology jobs in South Africa are held by women, software development skills organisation GirlCode hosted its annual Hackathon over the weekend.
GirlCode hosted its annual Hackathon in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban where software developers from online payment gateway PayFast mentored Hackathon teams.
“Attracting more women into the local tech industry is critical to growing the sector. Historically, young girls have not been encouraged to pursue careers in ICT or learn the necessary skills, which has resulted in the gender imbalance,” said Jonathan Page, Head of Technology and Development at PayFast.
“By teaching young girls that gender doesn’t define where you excel – and recognising that they are interested in things like coding and software – we can help them take the first steps on their tech journey.”
As part of the Hackathon, groups of all-female students and graduates worked collaboratively to create a website, game, or mobile app that addresses a selected real-world challenge.
Through the process, participants were given the chance to learn new skills, share ideas, and build networks.
“Initiatives like the GirlCode Hackathon are important because they give young female techies the opportunity to envision a career in the ICT space. We’re excited about the technical talent we saw at the Hackathon, and confident that the next generation of tech will be better and more innovative as a result of being more inclusive,” said Page.
In addition to PayFast, other tech companies including Takealot, Vuma, Superbalist, Mint Group, and Byte Orbit also took part in the event.
PayFast said the projects were judged on originality and impact, user experience, and functionality.
The winning team, Modern Girls, who tackled the issue of access to sanitary pads, walked away with new laptops and a R60 000 cash prize.
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