This year’s Tourism Hackathon will focus on community-based tourism. (Graphic: Nicola Mawson | Nicola Mawson and GenAI images)
More than a year after tourism minister Patricia de Lille promised funding to commercialise the winning innovations from South Africa’s G20 Tourism Hackathon, none has reached the market, and the incubation programme intended to support them is still being developed.
The Department of Tourism confirms that none of the three winning solutions − built on holograms, AI and virtual reality − has been commercially launched or adopted by tourism businesses. This is despite De Lille announcing in September last year that R1.2 million had been set aside to develop the projects through incubation.
The admission comes as the department prepares to launch the second edition of the Tourism Hackathon in Cape Town next month, proposing increased prize money and challenging students to develop technologies similar to those produced by last year’s winners.
The inaugural G20 Tourism Hackathon, held in Mpumalanga in September 2025, challenged students from higher education institutions across South Africa to develop artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the tourism industry.
The competition focused on smart tourism, rural inclusion and cultural heritage.
See also
The winning team, The Catalysts, developed a Hologram Hub concept to help rural communities showcase their cultural heritage and attract visitors, earning R175 000.
Second-placed Map My Biz received R140 000 for a platform combining offline accredited learning, AI-driven support and digital mapping to connect rural entrepreneurs with tourists.
Ubuntu Unlimited took third place and R105 000 for a platform using virtual reality, AI and Web3 technologies to allow tourists to explore rural communities virtually, participate in workshops and purchase locally-made crafts.
The hackathon formed part of South Africa’s 2025 G20 presidency, with the winning teams given an opportunity to showcase their innovations at the G20 tourism ministers’ meeting in Mpumalanga.
At the competition’s launch in June last year, De Lille outlined ambitions for the initiative to continue beyond South Africa’s year-long leadership of the forum. She said the top three teams “will have their prototypes supported and accelerated for commercialisation, with funding from the Department of Tourism and our partners”.
In September last year, De Lille described the hackathon as “more than a competition” and “a legacy project”.A week later, addressing the Tourism Business Council of South Africa Leadership Conference at Sun City, she announced: “R1.2 million has been set aside to further develop their projects through an incubation process.”
Tourism minister Patricia de Lille. (Source: sahistory.org.za)
Yet, 13 months later, the department has no commercially-launched solutions to report.In a written response to ITWeb, the department confirms it is still developing the programme, while discussions with potential partners continue.
“Engagements with other identified stakeholders that can partner with the department in further development and commercialisation of the solutions is ongoing,” it says.“The incubation that is planned by the department will cover, amongst others, the mentorship, technical support and the commercialisation of the winning solutions.”
The department does not specify how much of the R1.2 million has been spent, or whether any funding has been directed towards developing the winning solutions.
Asked how much of the promised funding had been disbursed and what mentorship and technical support the teams had received, the department instead details the cash prizes and allowances paid to participants.
It confirms that all participants received allowances of R5 000 a month for four months and a R5 000 participation payment, although a later answer puts that payment at R5 500.The department does not identify any post-competition technical assistance or mentorship already provided to the three teams.
The second edition is scheduled to launch on 14 and 15 November, with 50 students selected from public and private universities offering tourism and hospitality qualifications.
This year’s competition will focus on community-based tourism and rural inclusion, a theme that also featured in the inaugural event.
2025’s winning team, The Catalysts, developed a Hologram Hub concept. (Image created with GenAI)
Participants will be challenged to develop digital platforms connecting tourists with township and rural experiences, online booking systems for local guides and homestays, virtual reality tours to showcase lesser-known destinations, and payment solutions for small tourism operators.
Several of the proposed solutions overlap with last year’s winning concepts, including virtual reality experiences and digital platforms designed to connect tourists with rural communities.
Prize money is expected to increase by 10%, with the proposed top three prizes worth a combined R462 000, compared with R420 000 last year.The department has confirmed participant numbers, proposed prizes and challenges, but has not provided commercialisation targets.
Asked how success would be measured beyond the competition itself, the department does not identify specific performance indicators for commercial launches, business adoption or revenue generation.
Instead, it says: “The department is continuously engaging potential partners to provide post-hackathon challenge support to ensure the commercial viability and sustainability of the solutions.”