“The UniHack Competition has once again highlighted the exceptional talent and innovative spirit of our young participants. Their ability to adapt and design applications to solve challenging problems in these areas is truly inspiring.”

The winning team, High Five, took first place with “Handy,” an app that translates sign language into text in real-time to aid communication for the hearing-impaired. Comprising students from Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape, the team was lauded for its practical application of technology.

Second place went to the My EduVault Team, which developed an AI-powered, multilingual education platform aligned with South Africa’s National Senior Certificate curriculum. The app provides tailored resources and round-the-clock support for students.

The third-placed AI Mental Health Solution Team created a platform blending AI assistance with peer-to-peer chat rooms, offering mental health support in African languages.

The competition emphasises the need to develop young talent and the importance of involving youth in technology and its future applications to address societal challenges. By fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, UniHack aims to build a pipeline ofskilled professionals who can contribute to the growth and development of South Africa's ICTsector.

BUSINESS REPORT

18:T750,Standard Bank concluded its third annual UniHack Competition on April 3, showcasing innovative student-led tech solutions to tackle South African challenges in education, mental health, and disability support. The two-day event in Cape Town saw 13 university teams compete, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to address pressing societal issues, Standard Bank said in a statement on Monday. Gerald Perumal, Standard Bank’s technology head of Strategy Enablement, said, “The UniHack Competition has once again highlighted the exceptional talent and innovative spirit of our young partic