Gauteng's Top Young Tech Innovators to Battle for G13 Hackathon Title
The Gauteng Department of e-Government, in partnership with Microsoft, will host the Youth Tech Expo (YTE) G13 Hackathon Finale from 7 to 8 July 2026 at the Microsoft Offices in Johannesburg, followed by a closing ceremony on 9 July 2026, also in Microsoft Offices in Johannesburg. The closing ceremony will be led by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi together with Gauteng MEC for e-Government Bonginkosi Dhlamini.
The provincial finale will bring together 50 of Gauteng's brightest young innovators from across the province's five regions. The finalists comprise 10 teams of five participants each, with two winning teams from each region earning their place after emerging victorious in the regional hackathons held throughout June as part of the Department's Youth Month programme.
During the two-day finale, the teams will compete to develop the most innovative and impactful technology solutions addressing Gauteng's priority challenges. At the closing ceremony of the event, one team will be crowned the overall G13 Hackathon Champion and awarded as Gauteng's top young tech innovators for 2026.
The YTE G13 Hackathon is an initiative of the Gauteng Department of e-Government that empowers young people to harness technology and innovation to solve real-world challenges facing communities.
Throughout the regional competitions, participants collaborated to develop practical digital solutions aligned with the G13 challenges such as crime and public safety, improving service delivery, strengthening healthcare and education, creating employment opportunities, and enhancing energy and water security identified by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
Members of the media are invited as follows:
Event: Youth Tech Expo (YTE) G13 Hackathon Finale
Dates: 7–8 July 2026
Time: 10:00
Closing Ceremony:
Date: 9 July 2026
Time: 10:00
Venue: Microsoft Offices, Johannesburg
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