Building on the outcomes and key lessons from the 2024–2025 cycle, the Hack4dev Data Science Hackathon Programme (DSHP) is expanding its global reach, with 22 data science hackathons across 13 countries selected for the 2026 second cycle, accelerating skills development and innovation through global collaboration. Teams will gather in Cape Town for the Trainers’ Hackathon from 15-18 June 2026.
In an era defined by rapid digital transformation, data science has become a critical driver of innovation and economic growth. Across sectors, from public health and climate resilience to finance, governance, and artificial intelligence, the ability to analyse and interpret data is now central to competitiveness and sustainable development. The global job market increasingly demands data literacy, analytical thinking, and technical skills, with data-related roles among the fastest-growing professions worldwide. However, significant gaps remain in access to training, mentorship, infrastructure, and real-world application opportunities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The Hack4dev Data Science Hackathon Programme (DSHP) was established to address this gap by creating coordinated and challenge-driven hackathons.
The DSHP is a structured programme designed to strengthen data science capacity while addressing pressing development challenges. It combines hands-on learning, mentorship, and collaborative problem-solving through a two-stage model:
- Stage 1: Organisers Hackathon (OH) – a four-day immersive event providing hackathon organisers with first-hand experience in both the technical and logistical aspects of running a data science hackathon.
- Stage 2: Regional Hackathons (RH) – organisers then host hackathons at their institutions, all focused on a shared challenge. This coordinated approach allows participants from diverse regions to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and compare outcomes across contexts.
Our cascade model multiplies impact by training organisers who, in turn, empower participants across regions, fostering comparable results globally. In the previous cycle, Hack4dev equipped more than 50 organisers, who supported over 150 participants in developing practical skills through real-world data science challenges. In just three days of intensive collaboration, 48 solutions were submitted, 20 outperforming the baseline, with the top-performing solution running 165 times faster than the benchmark.
The 2025–2026 call for hackathon proposals opened on 1 October 2025 and closed on 10 November 2025, attracting 51 applications from institutions across Africa and beyond. This demonstrates growing global interest in using data science for development and innovation. To ensure fairness and transparency, seven independent reviewers assessed the applications. Each proposal was reviewed by three experts with disciplinary backgrounds in astronomy, astrophysics, and development economics, drawn from regions globally. Final funding and participation decisions were made by an Oversight Committee, ensuring accountability and consistency in line with Hack4dev’s capacity-building goals.
Hackathons funded in 2026:
- Namibia (National Commission on Research, Science and Technology)
- Mozambique (2x hackathons) -Tmcel Conference and Training Facility and Catholic University of Mozambique
- Botswana (2x hackathons)- BIUST and University of Botswana
- Kenya (3x hackathons)- Maasai Mara University, University of Nairobi and South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU)
- Ghana – Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
- Madagascar (2x hackathons)- Axian University and Arato, Fianarantsoa
- South Africa (3x hackathons) – Sol Plaatjie university , University of Cape Town (UCT) and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
- Zambia (3x hackathons)- University of Zambia, Mulungushi University Conference Center and Copperbelt University
- Tanzania- Institute of Accountancy Arusha
- Iraq- Abu Jaafar Al-Mansour, Baghda
- Nigeria-Centre for Basic Space Science and Astronomy (CBSS), Nsukka
- Zimbabwe- Zimbabwean National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA)
- Ethiopia- Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI)
Driving the DSHP
Hackathons across the continent will be supported through a collaborative effort by the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) project, the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), and the African Astronomical Society (AfAS), with additional targeted funding from the RIIS enhancing financial sustainability and programme delivery.
The programme will begin with the Trainers’ Hackathon, from 15-18 June 2026 at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, where team leads will be prepared and equipped with the skills needed to mentor participants during their regional hackathons. The Regional Hackathons will take place between August and October 2026, hosted at participating institutions.
Looking ahead, Hack4dev represents a continued investment in collaborative innovation, skills development, and cross-regional knowledge exchange. By connecting 22 hackathons across 13 countries, the programme empowers the next generation of data scientists, strengthens inclusive data science ecosystems, and fosters global partnerships for sustainable development.
Contact:
Zodwa Tiki,
Hackathons coordinator,
zodwa@astro4dev.org
About Hack4dev
Hack4dev is a global collaboration that aims to accelerate skills development through hackathons. More information at: https://hack4dev.org/
Partners
Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA)- DARA is a joint UK — South Africa Newton funded project that uses radio astronomy training to develop high level technical skills in young graduates.
The Inter-university Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA)- IDIA is a partnership between three South African universities (Cape Town, Western Cape, Pretoria) and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. Its main goal is to develop expertise in data-intensive research, enabling South Africa to lead global projects on MeerKAT and other SKA pathfinder telescopes.
The Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), a joint project of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), with support from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), aims to use astronomy as a tool for development. Its mission is to harness astronomy’s scientific, technological, and cultural benefits by mobilising the necessary resources.
BRICS Astronomy Working Group aims to promote cooperation between BRICS member countries in the field of astronomy and enabling technologies through joint activities of government, universities, research institutions, and industry, as relevant, to develop astronomical sciences, generate new knowledge, train human capital, develop new technologies and applications, and improve public understanding of science.
The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is a Pan-African professional organization of astronomers. Its vision is to build a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community in Africa. AfAS’s mission is to promote and advance astronomy, addressing Africa’s challenges and developing astronomy and human capacity across the continent.
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