Cavista Technologies brings global hackathon to Botswana
Laone Choeunyane | Wednesday February 4, 2026 06:00
The hackathon will take place simultaneously across Cavista Technologies’ international offices, linking Botswana with the company’s operations in Nigeria, India, and the Philippines.
The event will bring together developers, engineers, and innovators to work intensively on problem-solving challenges, with select solutions potentially progressing beyond the competition stage.
General Manager of Cavista Technologies Botswana, Katlego Arnone, said the hackathon reflects the company’s commitment to investing in local innovation while aligning with its global operations.
“Our hackathon event is the first one of its kind that we will be participating in, in Botswana, but it will be happening across all the global locations where we are located,” she said.
The event has attracted support from established players in the technology and telecommunications sectors.
“We already have strong industry players in the technology field like the BTCL Group coming on board as partners and sponsors for this big event,” Arnone added.
Explaining the concept, Arnone said hackathons are structured innovation platforms rather than informal coding competitions.
“A hackathon is an event where people come together to solve a problem... so they work on engineering solutions and make sure that they come out with a solution for a challenge they’ve been given,” she said.
The format encourages high levels of engagement, being “very competitive, it invites learning, it invites collaboration.”
The event will produce three main winning teams, each set to receive significant prizes. Beyond the awards, Arnone said participants could gain exposure to industry pathways, with some solutions having the potential to be refined and taken to market.
“We’ve always known hacking as something malicious, but hackathons are events that bring people together for good,” she noted, addressing common misconceptions around hacking.
She cited GroupMe as an example of a successful product that emerged from a hackathon, originating at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon in 2010.
“We want to give back and enrich the communities in which we operate,” Arnone said.
A press conference is expected closer to the event date, where further details regarding participation, challenges, and prizes will be announced.