Hackathon 2026 Challenge

Introduction The Tech Hub Africa Hackathon 2026 is a youth-led innovation program designed to tackle the most persistent infrastructure and environmental hurdles facing Ghana and the broader continent. Hosted on the global developer platform DoraHacks.io, this challenge invites the next generation of thinkers students, aspiring developers, and young visionaries to turn bold ideas into scalable solutions. Tracks & Challenges With a focus on impact over hype, the hackathon empowers participants aged 15–25 to build tools that drive real-world change across three critical pillars: - Electricity Efficiency: Optimizing energy grids and reducing waste to power our future. - Traffic Mitigation: Designing smart systems to ease congestion and reclaim lost commute hours. - Pollution Control: Creating sustainable projects for a cleaner, healthier urban environment. Program Timeline Phase 1: Preparation & Onboarding March 1 – May 31, 2026 - DoraHacks Onboarding: Registration opens on DoraHacks.io. Participants can set up their profiles and find teammates. - Educational Series: Weekly webinars covering the three tracks (Electricity, Traffic, and Pollution) with guest experts from Ghana’s infrastructure and environmental sectors. - Ideation Workshops: "Office Hours" to help teams refine their project concepts before the code starts flowing. Phase 2: Hacking & Mentorship 1st June – October 31, 2026 - The Build Begins: Official start of the hacking period. - Technical Mentorship: Weekly check-ins with developers and mentors to troubleshoot and optimize solutions. - Submission Deadline: All projects, including the pre-recorded demo video and GitHub repository, must be submitted via DoraHacks by October 31, 11:59 PM GMT. Phase 3: Judging & Winners Announcement November 1 – December 18, 2026 - Review Period: Judges evaluate submissions based on technical execution, innovation, and scalability for the Ghanaian market. - The Pitch Finale: The top 3 finalists will be invited to a in person demo day to pitch their solutions live at Tech Guru Meetup 2026. - Awards Ceremony: Winners of the $1,000 prize pool are announced on October 31st. Prizes $1000 The prize pool is designed to reward the most impactful solutions across our three core pillars. By participating, you are competing for a share of $1,000 in cash prizes, distributed to the top three standout projects that demonstrate the highest potential for real-world impact in Ghana. Total Prize Pool: $1,000 While you choose one specific track to build in, all projects are judged together to determine the ultimate winners of the 2026 Challenge. 1. 1st Place $450: The top-rated project across all tracks with the highest technical and social impact. 2. 2nd Place $300: The runner-up project demonstrating exceptional innovation and feasibility. 3. 3rd Place $250: The third-place project with a strong, scalable solution for its chosen challenge.