DPI Health Hackathon 2026 · Applications closed

Building the
future of
healthcare

Three days. Six innovation lanes. Africa's leading academic hospital as your sandbox. R 140,000 in cash prizes for the teams that build what matters.

Dates
11 - 13 September 2026
Location
Groote Schuur Hospital
Cape Town
Prize Pool
R 140,000
Format
6-part webinar series
+ 3 days in-person
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Applications are now closed. Sign up to our newsletter for updates on the next hackathon.

R140k
In cash prizes
6
Innovation lanes
6
Build-up webinars
3
Days in-person
About the Hackathon

Problem-led.
Clinically grounded.
Built to stay.

The DPI Health Hackathon is designed to surface problem-led ideas, build rapid prototypes and accelerate the next generation of African health innovation.

A hackathon unlike any other on the continent.

Healthcare in South Africa faces a critical inflection point. Groote Schuur Hospital's 7,000-strong clinical workforce and 12 world-first innovations create a uniquely powerful platform to accelerate the next generation of health solutions.

By bringing together healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers and industry partners for an intensive 3-day event on the Groote Schuur Hospital campus, the DPI Health Hackathon creates the conditions for breakthrough innovation to emerge.

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  • Hosted inside Groote Schuur Hospital, clinical insight on tap
  • Six innovation lanes with Groote Schuur Hospital-validated problem statements
  • Dedicated clinical mentor per lane
  • R 140,000 in cash prizes for the top three teams
  • Participants across healthcare, tech, research and industry
  • Judged by clinical experts, entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners
“
Real problems. Practical solutions. Meaningful impact.
The Health Hack ethos
How it works

Five steps from application to Demo Day.

Here's how the journey ran, from application through to Demo Day. Applications for this round are now closed.

01

Submit your application

Applicants told us who they are, the problem they care about and which lane they're drawn to. Individuals were welcome, with support for team-matching. Applications are now closed.

02

Shortlisting

We review applications and notify shortlisted participants. You'll be invited to the 6-part webinar series where team formation and problem framing happen.

03

6-part webinar series

A six-part online webinar series running 10 June to 19 August, with each session building towards the in-person hackathon: 01 Orient (10 Jun), 02 Ground (24 Jun), 03 Find the Gap (08 Jul), 04 Make it Buildable (22 Jul), 05 Make it Last (05 Aug) and 06 Make it Land (19 Aug). Each session maps to a judging criterion.

04

In-person Hackathon (3 days)

11 - 13 September 2026 at Groote Schuur Hospital. Build with your team, stress-test ideas with clinicians and iterate fast on the ward floor.

05

Demo Day & Awards

Final pitches to the judging panel. Top three teams share R 140,000 in cash prizes, plus alumni-network access for the long haul.

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Innovation lanes

Six lanes.
Six validated problem statements.

Every lane is backed by a dedicated clinical mentor and built around a real problem from the frontline.

Digital Health & AI

EHR, clinical decision support, AI diagnostics, patient engagement tools.

Biotechnology

Novel therapeutics, biosensors, genomics applications and lab innovations.

Medical Technology

Point-of-care devices, diagnostics, imaging and assistive health technology.

Health Financing & Access

NHI readiness, digital payments, referral tools and equitable access solutions.

Supply Chain & Operations

Procurement, logistics, last-mile delivery and operational efficiency.

Emergency & Critical Care

Emergency response, trauma care, blood services and triage support systems.

Who should apply

Built for multidisciplinary teams of 3-5.

Open to anyone with a stake in improving healthcare in Africa. Individual applicants will be supported to find teammates during team formation.

Profile 01

Healthcare professionals

Doctors, nurses, allied health and clinical staff from Groote Schuur Hospital and partner hospitals.

Profile 02

Entrepreneurs & startups

Health tech founders and early-stage teams ready to validate inside a real hospital.

Profile 03

Engineers & designers

Developers, engineers and product designers who want to ship into a high-stakes environment.

Profile 04

Researchers & academics

Researchers from UCT, Stellenbosch and partner institutions with ideas worth commercialising.

Profile 05

Students

Medical and health science students, undergraduate and postgraduate, welcome.

Profile 06

Industry & NGO

Corporate health, pharma, medtech professionals and public health practitioners.

Timeline

The road to the hackathon.

A structured path from concept to pitch, a 6-part webinar series building to three days in person. Each session maps to a judging criterion.

●
May 2026

Applications open & close

Applications open, then close. Challenge statements published across 6 innovation lanes. Shortlisting and notification of selected participants. Applications are now closed.

●
Jun - Aug 2026

6-part webinar series

A six-part online webinar series in the lead-up to the in-person hackathon. Each step builds towards 11 - 13 September.

10 JUN
01 · Orient - Kick-off & foundations

The six lanes, human-centred design, prototyping and founder pathways.

24 JUN
02 · Ground - Data, AI & feasibility

Health data, interoperability, realistic MVP scope.

08 JUL
03 · Find the Gap - Know the landscape

The SA health system & NHI, what's been tried, and scoping a sub-problem worth solving.

22 JUL
04 · Make it Buildable - Viability, funding & impact

Business models in African health, funding, scaling and measuring impact.

05 AUG
05 · Make it Last - Real problems & policy

Clinicians surface real hospital problems; policy frames the system. Anchor to what matters.

19 AUG
06 · Make it Land - Pitch & demo readiness

Storytelling, what judges reward, demo prep and live critique against the scorecard.

★
11 - 13 September 2026

In-person hackathon

Friday 11 September (16:00 - 20:00). Kick-off at Groote Schuur Hospital campus. Saturday 12 September (08:00 - 20:00). Full day of building with mentors. Sunday 13 September (08:00 - 18:30). Final build, pitching and demo day. Awards ceremony from 16:00.

●
September 2026 onwards

Community

The hackathon ends but the network doesn't. Stay connected with the cohort for collaboration, mentorship and future opportunities.

Mentors & Judges

Evaluated by clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners.

Every submission is evaluated across six criteria designed to identify ventures that are clinically real, technically feasible and commercially scalable.

01

Clinical relevance & problem validation

Is the problem real, significant and well-validated within the South African healthcare context?

02

Innovation & originality

Does the solution offer a genuinely new approach or meaningfully improve on existing methods?

03

Technical feasibility

Can the proposed solution be built and deployed within a realistic timeframe and resource constraint?

04

Business viability & scalability

Is there a credible pathway to commercialisation, sustainability and scale across Africa?

05

Team capability & diversity

Does the team bring the right mix of clinical, technical and entrepreneurial skills?

06

Impact potential

What is the potential scale of impact on patient outcomes, system efficiency or healthcare access in Africa?

Judged by a multidisciplinary panel.

Final judging is done by a rotating panel drawn from four lenses, so every team is stress-tested on more than just a good demo.

Clinical

Senior clinicians

Heads of department and consultants from Groote Schuur Hospital and partner hospitals.

Capital

Investors & funders

Early-stage health investors and foundation leaders funding African innovation.

Builder

Health entrepreneurs

Founders who have taken a health venture from prototype to scale on the continent.

Industry

Hospital & industry leaders

Executives from hospital groups, medtech, pharma and public health bodies.

Prizes

R 140,000 in cash prizes.

Cash prizes that matter. The top three teams share R 140,000 and take home recognition from a panel of clinical experts, entrepreneurs and investors from across Africa.

1st Place
R 80,000
+ a Risk Review from BMEC
2nd Place
R 40,000
3rd Place
R 20,000
Partners & Sponsors

Made possible by partners who believe in African health innovation.

Want to be part of the story? We offer Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship tiers, each with hospital, ecosystem and impact benefits.

Sponsor Logo
Host venue

Groote Schuur Hospital

Groote Schuur Hospital is a leading academic hospital in Cape Town and the host venue for the DPI Health Hackathon. Its 7,000-strong clinical workforce and frontline problem statements give every team real clinical insight from the African health frontline.

Dr Shrikant Peters
Dr Shrikant Peters Medical Manager
Digital Health, Innovation & Integration
Learn more → Become a sponsor
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Are applications still open?

No. Applications for this round of the DPI Health Hackathon are now closed. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear when the next hackathon opens. This event welcomed anyone with a stake in improving healthcare in Africa: healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, engineers, designers, researchers, students, corporate innovators and NGO practitioners, in diverse multidisciplinary teams of 3-5, with individuals welcome and support for team formation.

Is there a cost to participate?

No. Participation is free for selected teams. Meals, workspace and mentorship during the hackathon are covered.

Did I need a fully-formed idea to take part?

No. Participants could join with a problem they cared about, a rough concept, or a working prototype. The 6-part webinar series (10 June to 19 August) helped them form teams, frame their problem and shape their solution before the in-person weekend.

Do I need to be based in Cape Town?

The in-person hackathon (11 - 13 September 2026) is hosted on the Groote Schuur Hospital campus in Cape Town. Participants are expected to attend in person. Applicants came from across South Africa and the continent, travel and accommodation are at your own expense.

What happens after the hackathon?

The top three teams share R 140,000 in cash prizes. All participants become part of the Health Hack alumni network, a peer community for ongoing collaboration, mentorship and access to future opportunities.

Who owns the IP of what we build?

Teams retain full ownership of their IP. The organisers do not take equity as a condition of participation. Any commercial engagement beyond the hackathon is negotiated separately on mutually agreed terms.

How are submissions judged?

Submissions are evaluated by a panel of clinical experts, entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners across six criteria: clinical relevance, innovation, technical feasibility, business viability, team capability and impact potential.

I want to sponsor or partner. Who do I talk to?

Head to our sponsorship enquiry form and we'll send through the sponsorship deck and details on our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze tiers.

Applications closed

Applications are now closed.

Thank you for the incredible interest in the DPI Health Hackathon. Applications for this round are now closed. Check back here for updates, or sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear when the next hackathon opens.

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Real problems. Practical solutions. Meaningful impact.