This week, Standard Bank Group is hosting its tenth annual Kuunda Disrupt Hackathon, a significant event that fosters innovation and creative problem-solving among its global workforce. The hackathon invites participation from all Standard Bank employees, including those based in South Africa, the rest of Africa, and beyond, reflecting the bank’s commitment to leveraging its diverse talent pool to address client challenges.
The two-day event showcases the inventive spirit of the bank’s teams, focusing on generating solutions that align with Standard Bank’s digital strategy and core values. This year, the hackathon has seen an impressive 395 submissions from across the bank’s global network, with the top 47 teams—comprising over 250 participants—selected to advance to the next stage of the competition.
In the initial phase, these top teams will present their client-centric solutions to a panel of experienced judges. From this pool, 15 finalist teams will be chosen to advance to the final round, where they will refine and pitch their solutions to a panel of experts. The top five teams will be awarded prizes, with the winners announced on September 12.
Standard Bank emphasizes that each proposal must address a specific business issue with the goal of enhancing client experience or improving operational excellence. Solutions will be evaluated based on creativity, feasibility, business value, commercial potential, and technological advancement.
Jörg Fischer, Group Chief Information Officer at Standard Bank Group, highlighted the hackathon’s role in uncovering emerging talent and innovative solutions over the past decade. He noted that the event not only provides opportunities for real-time problem-solving but also supports the bank’s mission to integrate cutting-edge solutions into its client services, driving Africa’s growth and meeting evolving client needs.
Fischer expressed confidence in this year’s event, stating that the innovative ideas submitted promise to make the 2023 Hackathon the most successful yet. The bank looks forward to the learning and growth opportunities that will emerge for all participants.
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