The Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov), in partnership with Microsoft, will host the closing ceremony of the Youth Tech Expo (YTE) G13 Hackathon Grand Finale on Thursday, 09 July 2026, at the Microsoft Offices in Johannesburg.
The closing ceremony will be led by Gauteng Premier Mr. Panyaza Lesufi, together with the Gauteng MEC for e-Government, Mr. Bonginkosi Dhlamini, where they will recognise and celebrate Gauteng’s top young technology innovators.
The provincial finale has brought together 50 of Gauteng’s brightest young innovators from across the province’s five regions. The finalists, comprising 10 teams of five participants each, secured their place after emerging victorious in the regional hackathons held throughout June as part of the Department’s Youth Month programme.
Over the two-day Grand Finale competition, taking place from 07 – 08 July 2026, the teams will be developing innovative digital solutions to address some of Gauteng’s priority challenges, including crime and public safety, improving government service delivery, strengthening healthcare and education, creating employment opportunities, and enhancing energy and water security.
The Youth Tech Expo G13 Hackathon is an initiative of the Gauteng Department of e-Government aimed at empowering young people to harness technology, innovation and Artificial Intelligence to solve real-world challenges while contributing to the Gauteng Provincial Government’s vision of building a Smart Gauteng City Region.
At the closing ceremony, two teams will be crowned the overall G13 Hackathon Champions and recognised as Gauteng’s Top Young Tech Innovators for 2026. The event will also celebrate the creativity, innovation and determination of young people who are helping shape Gauteng’s digital future.
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