A decade ago, many participants at Africa’s first cybersecurity hackathon did not know what a hackathon was. Ten years on, the ITWeb Security Summit Hackathon has become one of the continent’s most significant platforms for developing cyber talent and its tenth edition is raising the bar further.
This year’s competition, sponsored by CompTIA and held under the banner of the ITWeb Security Summit 2026, challenges participants to harness AI to fortify cyber resilience and design intelligent, adaptive solutions capable of predicting, detecting and neutralising threats in real time. For the first time in the event’s history, Kenyan competitors will participate, reflecting the hackathon’s expanding continental footprint. Geekulcha’s Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer, Tiyani Nghonyama,said the growth in interest has been remarkable. He said, “Over the years, the hackathon has shaped so many careers in cyber security, enabled by collaborative efforts of partners.”
ITWeb’s Chief Executive Officer Ivan Regasek, one of 14 hackathon mentors, reflected on how far the event has travelled. “At the first edition, many people didn’t even know what a hackathon was and now, a decade later, many young adults have grown up knowing them and aspiring to win them. It has not been an easy journey but the efforts of our partners and supporters to date have made a difference in raising awareness and the profile of cyber security, not just among the youth but across society overall,” said Regasek, further sharing that the ambition ahead is unchanged.
He concluded, “Together, with industry, government and academia, we can overcome collective challenges that oftentimes seem impossible and one day realise that digital army we have been dreaming of.” The ITWeb Security Summit 2026 runs across Cape Town and Johannesburg, bringing together global and local experts to examine the latest security threats, tools and strategies for organisations navigating an increasingly hostile digital environment.
