Standard Bank in collaboration with the Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII) will be hosting an innovative App development competition (Hackathon) aimed at benefitting the Bank’s Buy-A-Brick initiative this weekend.
The hackathon will see various participants competing to build mobile applications for the initiative to aid in its fundraising efforts.
The Bank’s flagship Buy-a-Brick initiative was launched in October 2015 with the aim of helping in alleviating the housing shortage in the country for no or low income households who live in shacks through the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN).
The Bank previously donated N$1.4 million and N$2 million in 2015 and 2016, respectively, to the federation which was raised through the sale of token bricks in the form of erasers, however efforts to raise more funds are still ongoing yearly.
“The competition aims to stimulate innovativeness and creativity amongst software developers and future entrepreneurs in Namibia through the development of a mobile application,” Standard Bank’s IT Chief Information Officer, Pieter Kruger, said of the Hackathon.
The Bank encourages corporates and individuals to contribute financially into the fund. Contributions were previously made through the purchase of token brick, in the form of erasers, however the mobile application will make fund-raising efforts easier and far-reaching.
“The Buy-a-Brick Hackathon 2017 is open to teams who have new or existing ideas or prototypes with a viable business concept. The novelty and quality of the mobile application idea, the demonstration of the application prototype and execution strategy of the proposed application, as well as the clarity and persuasiveness of the oral presentation will all influence the judges’ decisions,” Kruger said explaining the event.
The Hackathon will commence with coding sessions from 06-08 October, followed by a pitching session on the 10th and will conclude with the awards ceremony on the 11th of October.
“Through this Hackathon we aim to expose a number of young people to the Buy-a-Brick initiative, receive great solutions and to see the strength of the talent in the country,” he reiterated.
Participation in the competition is open to all members of the public aged 18 and older. Entrants should be Namibians or citizens residing in Namibia, having made Namibia their centre or choice of business location.
“Team work is encouraged as the development of the mobile or web application, name and application can be a more rewarding and successful experience if shared with others. And, chances for success are increased if the founding team has complementary knowledge and skills,” Kruger stressed.
Groups formed for the purpose of developing a mobile or web application, system or database prototype should consist of 5 to 6 members. Every individual may only be part of one submission, and such team is required to define their business implementation strategy. Each team should consist of at least two software developers.
The winning team will receive a monetary prize of N$ 20 000, while the second runner-up will receive N$15 000 and the third runner-up will walk away with N$7 500.
For more information on the Hackathon, visit Standard Bank’s Facebook page.