Developers Tsitsi Marote and Tino Manhema win R100k at inaugural Ayoba hackathon

Developers Tsitsi Marote and Tino Manhema from Guardian Health have taken home R100 000 after last month winning a virtual hackathon.

The hackathon was run by SA based messaging app Ayoba, together with the UCT Graduate School of Business’s Solution Space and Geekulcha.

The event introduced Ayoba as a platform for developers. Over the Hackathon period, startups were given preview access to a developer sandbox environment. The teams were supported by a range of experienced coaches providing tech, UI/UX and business support.

Ayoba hackathon winners Tsitsi Marote and Tino Manhema walked away with a cash prize of R100k

The teams were set a challenge to make the most creative use of the Ayoba platform to build services and solutions that meet the daily needs of African consumers and businesses.

Marote (pictured above) and Manhema created an integrated booking system to schedule clinic appointments and home visits for community health workers, using optimisation techniques and machine learning to refer patients.

While completing her Master’s research in Data Science (with a focus on health issues), Marote discovered that doctors usually have to wait until after a second ultrasound scan (at 22 weeks) to accurately assess whether a foetus might have an abnormality.

If the doctor has to deliver sad news, an expectant mother has to make some hard choices, including termination in certain cases. This can be very emotionally exhausting for the family, and the advanced age of the foetus means decisions have to be made quickly.

The Guardian Health team decided to create a booking system for the clinics and community health workers to provide better resource planning.

Little Fish Market, Wenzan

Runner ups were LittleFish Market, who took home a R30 000 cash prize. Brandon Roberts, CEO of LittleFish Market, has spent much of his career in small businesses before moving into financial services for about a decade. His team used the hackathon to prototype and develop their e-commerce channel for small business owners.

Third place, and a R20 000 cash prize, went to team Wenzan which built an application that allows people to initiate a video chat with any of their Ayoba contacts, no matter where they are in the world.

The top five ideas, including two others not mentioned above: Moss Africa and Clear House, will also be supported through the UCT GSB Solution Space E-Track Programme in partnership with the MTN Group.

Read more: Top three can win share of R150k in prizes in Ayoba virtual hackathon [Updated]

Featured image: Guardian Health product owner Tsitsi Marote (Facebook)