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#Hack Jozi challenge finalists named

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 27 Mar 2015
A thousand digital interns will be trained over the next year by the city of Johannesburg.
A thousand digital interns will be trained over the next year by the city of Johannesburg.

More than 140 applications in the #Hack Jozi challenge were yesterday whittled down to 50 finalists in the running to win R5 million in backing.

The competition, which asked digital entrepreneurs to submit entries, is looking for the best digital solution ideas for Johannesburg.

Phathwa Senene, one of the finalists, developed a prototype for the Scova fire reporting device, which allows residents in communities to report fire by pressing a centrally located button. "The button will alert the nearest fire station, with remote-controlled video feed, so the fire department can assess the situation and get there as fast as possible," said Senene, who came up with the idea after finding out there was a need for this functionality in communities.

Another finalist, Mzwakhe Kubheka, part of a group of three who came up with the Township Economy Act, says: "We are hoping to revamp small township businesses by connecting them to customers." The idea is to create a Web site and app where small business owners register the services they provide, allowing customers to find them.

Self-service terminals will also be set up in strategic places within townships where businesses and customers will have access to the platform.

Other finalists included those who developed digital solutions to problems such as access to healthcare, affordable education and home security.

The winners will be hosted and mentored in Johannesburg's innovation hub in Braamfontein, where they will have access to various resources, mentors and partners to make their vision a reality. The 50 finalists will go on to phase two this weekend, proceeding through another knock-out round.

The final will be held in the near future, on a date to be announced.

Digital interns

Meanwhile, the first 250 digital interns - of the 1 000 the city plans to train as part of its Joburg Educating Digital Interns project - were yesterday inducted into the programme.

The group was selected from a group of 600 applicants, who motivated via social media why they should be selected. The programme seeks to skill up the interns so they can get jobs or start small and medium enterprises.

Training takes place over 10 months and interns are able to choose between courses on network engineering, Web development or fibre engineering. Network engineering interns will get either Microsoft or Cisco credentials. The Web development course will include how to build using HTML, how to use CSS, and also simple animation effects. The fibre optics course includes fibre layout, splicing and testing.

The students are predominantly from previously disadvantaged communities and 45% are young women. The minimum requirements to apply include a matric pass with maths and science or a national diploma, and they must be a resident of Johannesburg. Applications for the next intake will open in May.

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