EPSza x MathU Hackathon 2025: A First Step Into the Future of Innovation

This September, EPSza partnered with @MathU Society to host our first-ever hackathon, a platform for students to connect, collaborate, and explore bold new ideas. The event was designed both as a recruitment opportunity and as a space for young developers to push themselves, share knowledge, and spark creativity.

Innovation drives everything we do at EPSza, and hosting this hackathon allowed us to live those values. Bringing together talented students to tackle real-world challenges demonstrated how collaboration, creativity, and technical skill can shape the future of IT. The energy and passion in the room were truly inspiring.

From a competitive pool of applicants, 40 students were selected from universities across Gauteng, including Eduvos, Belgium iTversity, and the University of Pretoria. They came from fields such as computer science, software engineering, IT, and data science, most in their final or postgraduate years. The mix of skills and perspectives made the day electric, full of energy, ideas, and innovation.

Teams took on the Robocode Tank Royale challengee, building battle bots in Java or .NET. Each bot had to be stable, run without errors, and be fully original. AI-assisted coding and unmodified example bots were not allowed. Creativity, strategy, and technical skill were essential to stand out. Teams submitted their bots via GitHub, ensuring all files and configurations met the challenge requirements.

Judging was based on functionality, creativity, strategy, code quality, originality, and performance in the final battle. This approach ensured that both technical expertise and inventive thinking were rewarded, and the most deserving teams were recognized.

The winning team, Double Trouble, consisting of Chad Kriel and Johan Moyane, excelled across all criteria and walked away with a R10 000 prize. Their entry perfectly combined creativity, strategy, and technical skill, capturing the spirit of the hackathon.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with all surveyed students eager to join another hackathon.

Highlights included the team 404 Found Us’s creative video entry, which perfectly captured the fun and innovation of the day.

This event would not have been possible without the support of our partners and team.

N9ne Catering at the Pretoria Country Club created a beautiful environment and provided delicious food that made the day even more special.

The EPSza and MathU employees who attended played a crucial role in engaging with students and ensuring the event ran smoothly. And of course, we owe the greatest thanks to the students themselves. Their creativity, passion, and talent reminded us all of why the future of IT looks so bright.

The EPSza x MathU Hackathon 2025 was only the beginning. Hosting our first hackathon has inspired us to continue building platforms where students, professionals, and industry leaders can come together to innovate, collaborate, and grow. We invite you to follow EPSza to stay updated on future events, partnerships, and innovation stories. And to the students and professionals passionate about technology, we welcome you to engage with our community. Together, we can shape the future of IT, one hackathon at a time.