To improve its systems of allocating and maintaining addresses across its 1 644 km² municipality, the City of Johannesburg has launched the GeoJozi Developer Challenge.

The location technology challenge is aimed at developers aged 30 or under, with an interest in apps, maps, data, urban development or cities and is being run in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and mapping software company, Esri South Africa. 

Across the world, street addresses and location are used as fundamental tools for managing cities, but with rapid urbanisation, local governments face increasingly complex and fast-changing urban landscapes that need to be effectively managed to serve their residents.

City of Johannesburg geo-informatics corporate director Marcelle Hattingh explains that street addresses specify points of service delivery.

“They are essential for electricity, water, refuse, sewage, emergency services, land ownership, parcel deliveries, safety and security, being able to vote and countless other critical services and functions. A street address can save a life,” she states.

JCSE director Professor Barry Dwolatzky adds that, as the world becomes more digitised, more real-time data about cities is becoming available.

“This data can help to manage cities better and make them smarter. A street address informs us of location and that is where geographic information system (GIS) comes in. It’s all about a specific position or the coordinates on earth.”

Dwolatzky further notes that this creates exciting opportunities for creating smart cities, modern urban development and twenty-first-century city management.

“We are calling on young Johannesburg-based software developers to work with the City to help improve the allocation, maintenance and visibility of street addresses across our city,” he adds.

The GeoJozi Developer Challenge will be hosted at Wits’ Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, in Braamfontein.

The winning solution will earn its creator R150 000, while the second and third prizes are worth R100 000 and R50 000 respectively. The winning ideas may also be implemented by the City of Johannesburg.