Water-saving hackathon kicks off 9 February

The H2O (Hack Two Day Zero) event will host executives from Old Mutual, Nedbank, RCS, Woolworths Financial Services and PwC to engage with entrepreneurs, students, concerned citizens, and local government.

States Regan Adams, CEO of the RCS Group: “We are in the midst of a water crisis in the Western Cape and with the implications of Day Zero fast approaching there will be wide-spread impacts. The onus is not only on the individual to conserve water, but as corporates, we have a responsibility to collectively apply our minds to this challenge facing the society which we operate in.

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"Hosting a hackathon purely focusing on the water crisis was the perfect opportunity for RCS to show both support and desire to address this issue. At RCS we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation and we believe in the agility of tech startups to make a difference. It is, therefore, our ambition that the event may lead to finding valuable and feasible solutions for both companies and individuals.”

How it works

Hackathon participants will have two days to pitch their ideas, form teams, and create prototypes under the guidance of corporate sponsors.
By holding events in more than 100 cities each year, SBC supports the world’s most talented founders with hands-on mentorship and access to key industry connections. SBC is known for growing and scaling innovative solutions to modern challenges within the African continent.

“By creating an environment to collectively pool ideas together, we believe this hackathon can ensure that both short-term and long-term solutions can be designed to deal with the crisis. We encourage everyone who has a desire to make an impact to join. By bringing ideas and skills together, we can make a difference,” said Paul Nel, chief partnership officer and CFO of Startupbootcamp Cape Town.

When Cape Town dam levels drop to 13.5%, the city will begin to shut down its reticulation system in residential areas.

If you or anyone you know has a tech-based idea or solution to solve the problems the water crisis is causing, this hackathon may help you get your prototype produced.

“For the winning team, there will be a cash prize, with an added incentive of building the solutions designed if they are believed they will make the impact we envision,” states Paul Nel.

If you are interested in participating in the event, you can sign up here.

RCS will open its corporate offices in Golf Park to host the event which will be managed and coordinated by the SBC Cape Town team.