2016: Rise of the Geeks

Last year was quite eventful for Geekulcha. Through hosting a multitude of successful hackathons, initiatives and launching the Northern Cape Developer (NCDev) Ecosystem, Geekulcha was able to grow its footprint. Although it was challenging, many lessons have been learned and we as a team are now equipped to come into 2016 with machines blazing.

Our hackathons are a platform for people to identify current issues, showcase their skills, and create business opportunities that are economically viable. The events take place for up to 48 hours. During these hours, solutions are built using computer programming, robotics, design and entrepreneurial skills.

The Geekulcha VacWork Programme is growing bigger this year and will even take things to the street to explore a "Smart City Life" - the progress and attitude towards digital migration.

Reaketsetsa, a women’s initiative of Geekulcha, will continue with events to empower women and girls within the Information and Communication Technology Industry.

Through our blogs this year, we will be unpacking subjects directly and indirectly impacting the IT industry. We will also be letting you in on where you, as a Geek, fit in and can find opportunity. Skills and capacity are a challenge in the IT industry because of the rate of tech growth vs. the capability that is available. This is because of the lack of detail in the information spread about IT developments. That’s what we are here for.

Geekulcha will be leading by example in terms of driving digitization through the use of Business Intelligence and Analytics. We will be providing awareness about the importance of information security in terms of cyber-attacks and managing intellectual property. We will delve into how the technical affects business and vice versa to inform whether to build cost saving or money making products/services. This year we will take a twist and also involve some personal growth experiences.

There are a series of events to attend and initiatives to be involved in. Geekulcha will be communicating the events as they unfold so be on the lookout for the launches. You don’t want to miss out! These are just a few of the occasions to look forward to.

Focus will be placed on the Northern Cape where GK Geekulcha will be assisting DEDAT to establish an MLab presence in the province. Northern Cape is in for an action-packed year hosting the Ultimate Geekstar and Entrepreneur Awards, the NCDev Hackathon, and Start up weekend Northern Cape, which is a 52 hour bootcamp for entrepreneurs. There will also be a rise of Maker Activities to attract more youth into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education (STEM) through Sports.

Johannesburg and Pretoria have a range of events to anticipate like the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHok) and the third annual Geekulcha hackathon. The annual GK hack will be going international with involvement from Kenya, Mozambique and Botswana.

Through the years we have established a presence in Gauteng and the Northern Cape but believe that it is onwards and upwards from here. Geekulcha is coming at you in 2016!!! Thank you to our partners for supporting us.

Random fact: CIO job satisfaction levels are at an all-time high and the strategic relevance of CIO’s in the boardroom has risen significantly. This means that organisations are opening up to IT informing forward looking innovations instead of just being cost centres.

It feels amazing to be in an industry that is always in the middle of a new boom.

Join the movement and join the community on the following platforms:
Twitter: @Geekulcha
Facebook: Geekulcha
Website: http://geekulcha.com/