05 Dec 2024

In order to improve on service delivery Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) is adopting technological advancement as part of their digital transformative journey.

As such, the corporation in collaboration with Botswana Digital Hub recently hosted a Mobile Hackathon where tech developers delivered impactful mobile application concepts promoting quality service delivery.

Such user-friendly mobile applications are groundbreaking solutions aiming to enhance vital construction principles into technology and creating potential to revolutionise safety protocols on construction sites.

The applications have curated features enabling workers and residents to report in real time hazards to supervisors and organisations on unsafe conditions, thus enabling documentation that will aid curb future accidental occurrences.

Speaking at the BHC mobile application hackathon prize giving ceremony, safety, health and environment officer, Ms Gofa Thipe emphasised the importance of technology in safety, health and environment (SHE)..

Leveraging technology, she said would ensure projects were executed without compromising the wellbeing of workers, residents and the surroundings, thus pushing for widely acceptable housing developments in the Botswana.

“Effective SHE practices are important in the housing and construction sector. They provide tailored practices able to reduce accidents, improve workers morale and sustain development thus yielding greater outcomes essential for building community trust and ensuring long term successes,” Ms Thipe said.

She reiterated the importance of mobile applications in helping aid adoption of environmentally friendly services like recycling construction materials in order to minimise waste through sustainable and energy efficient practices. 

She said mobile applications hackathon competition was an opportunity to integrate communities, harness creativity and technological expertise.

BHC chief executive officer, Mr Nkaelang Matenge said the hackathon was mandated to exemplify technical expertise and provide deep understanding of user centric designs that would evolve needs of communities and foster partnerships that would grow the Botswana digital landscape.

“It is not just a competition, but an opportunity for collaboration, creativity and development of solutions that will shape the future of the nation’s housing through distinctive products and services. 

It is a transformative ways that enable the corporation to interact with citizens and make significant contributions to the country’s technological landscape.

Meanwhile, the BHC mobile application hackathon pulled 37 submissions, where three emerged winners. 

Digital Natives won the hackathon and walked away with an P75 000, followed Mavericks Pty (Ltd) and won P50 000 while Segaise Tech Pty (Ltd) won P30 000 for coming third. 

Receiving the award, Mr Mthabise Bokete of Digital Natives expressed gratitude to BHC, saying their aim was to expand globally and seeing other tech developers sharing the same vision to revolutionaries the nation’s digital landscape.

The competition aims to assess tech developers’ ability to produce a mobile application that is secure, functional, feasible and user-friendly. Ends