NUST students dominate at Ballerina Hackathon
Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) students dominated the recently held 2024 Ballerina Hackathon, taking first, second and third place. A collaboration between NUST and leading software company WS02, the event challenged Namibian developers to push the boundaries of application programming interface (API) integration, microservices orchestration and event-driven systems.A total of 24 teams participated in the hackathon, which served as a platform to showcase technical prowess while tackling real-world integration challenges. Ballerina is an open-source programming language for cloud-native development, designed to simplify the use, combination and creation of network services.
Second-year NUST Software Engineering student Frans Nekongo captivated the judges with an innovative feedback and memo system powered by Ballerina, Kafka, and MongoDB. The project earned him first place and a cash prize of U$500 (about N$9 000), in recognition of its potential to revolutionise communication processes.
Nekongo shared his aspirations, saying: “I plan to deploy my project globally using the Choreo platform after refining its functionalities”.
In the second place, Isabel Tchikenge and Theodore Ndenge’s Tech Mavericks earned U$300 (about N$5 400) for their ingenious microservices orchestration solution to streamline healthcare operations. This project demonstrated how Ballerina could transform healthcare efficiency through automation. Meanwhile, the third-place team – AttendMasters, made up of Ismael Mudjanima, Asher Samwaka, Saya Mubiana and Miles Katjimune – took home U$200 (approximately N$3 600) for their user-friendly digital attendance register, designed to modernise NUST’s administrative processes and enhance campus efficiency.
The hackathon was a testament to the synergy between academia and industry, providing students with hands-on experience in tackling real-world challenges using cutting-edge tools like Ballerina. Reflecting on the event, Mudjanima said: “The support from the Ballerina team, the NUST community, and my lecturer, Ms Nashandi, made this experience unforgettable and inspiring”.
Beyond technical expertise, participants connected with industry leaders, gaining exposure and networking opportunities. The Ballerina Hackathon exemplified how nurturing young developers through such initiatives can shape Namibia’s technological future. By equipping students with the skills and experience to address pressing challenges, the event underscored the university’s commitment to fostering innovation and empowering the next generation of tech leaders.