South African tech event #hackSTB restarted for 2013 yesterday evening, March 12, with software, interactive digital and tech startup presentations.
Attended by almost fifty techies, the MIH Media lab at the University of Stellenbosch (US) hosted three informative presentations.
While Chris van Wyk spoke about the uses of Xamarin software, Maia Grotepass gave a demonstration of interactive Kinect digital installation seedSpark and Stellenbosch Idea Competition (SIC) winner Tielman Nieuwoudt, co-founder at tech startup DocChat, explained their idea of sharing academic discussions virtually.
Started by Mariska du Preez, Simon de la Rouviere and Joe Botha in 2012, this bimonthly event provides a platform for tech interaction.
“The initial idea was to get people together because Stellenbosch is a very innovative place,” De la Rouviere told HumanIPO.
Du Preez saw the opportunity for such an event to benefit the community, and approached Botha and De la Rouviere to start it together.
Botha said the opportunity for demonstrations and the awareness it creates with the networking element are the main benefits.
Du Preez, also the South African initiator for kickstarting international Geek Girl dinners locally, is a firm believer in the role of community with regards to tech influence.
The MIH media lab also hosts Media lab Mondays, where key industry role players such as Alan-Knott Craig Jr, and a developer from Amazon have appeared.
