An up-and-coming team of app developers take the prize for their exceptional skills, creativity, and problem-solving prowess in the 2023 MTN App of the Year for the best Hackathon solution.

The Future DX team from Mafikeng in the North West developed Thutofy - an online learning platform that offers digital skills courses with integrated AI to close the digital skills gap in Africa. The app targets unemployed graduates, the youth, and professionals, offering a portfolio of evidence for CVs, job recommendations, and gamification with incentives to drive learning and reduce unemployment.

This category was sponsored by the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), who is leading the charge in their quest to develop solutions that will contribute to the future sustainability of the country. EWSETA now has access to locally developed innovative solutions that will advance skills development in areas of the preservation, usage, and management of energy and water in South Africa, as well as solutions addressing other social problems in the country.

“Congratulations to Thato Semenya and Letlhogonolo Korasi from Future DX, who utilised their planning, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of a social problem to develop this innovative solution. Their dedication, ingenuity, and hard work are a testament to the vibrant spirit of innovation within the tech community in South Africa and we look forward to seeing their continued success and contributions to the world of technology,” says Candice Moodley, Corporate Services Executive for EWSETA.

Hundreds of local app developers took part in the annual MTN Business Hackathon in October, with the objective of designing app solutions to solve some of South Africa’s unique social challenges.

The Hackathon category at this year’s MTN Business App of the Year Awards saw the best of the recent MTN Business Hackathon compete for the prestigious title. This annual platform is an opportunity to empower budding champions in app development from around the continent, creating promising futures for thousands of our youth who are passionate about creating digital solutions.

The 6-week MTN Business App Academy held annually, along with the Hackathon and annual App of the Year Awards, all play a vital role in elevating local entrepreneurs and showcasing problem solving new innovations within the ICT industry in South Africa. Enabling future entrepreneurs within the digital space not only helps in some way to alleviate what has become one of the worst youth unemployment rates in the world, but also contributes to an economy that can provide real world solutions to reignite our country. 

“At EWSETA, we strive to cultivate and deliver a culture of innovation in the energy and water sector which we serve. There remains tremendous potential for digital solutions to address a variety of challenges across a broad range of industries, and EWSETA is proud to play a part in discovering some of the brightest app development minds in the country through this initiative,” says Candice Moodley.