THRIVE ISSUE 6 DECEMBER 2025 25 Following their success, both teams earned the extraordinary opportunity to present their solutions at the G20 Ministerial Summit, showcasing their UJdeveloped innovations directly to Tourism Ministers from G20 countries. Second Place: Map My Biz Inganathi Zimela’s team, Map My Biz, secured a strong second place with a prize of R140,000. Their ingenious solution directly addresses the challenge of visibility for local entrepreneurs. Map My Biz combines offline accredited learning with AI-driven support and a global smart map, ensuring that rural entrepreneurs become visible, trusted, and adequately supported by international and domestic tourists. Zimela said as a tourism student, the competition allowed him to grow a mindset leaning towards innovation when it comes to issues of global tourism. “Being part of the first ever G20 Tourism Hackathon South Africa was an inspiring and eye-opening experience for me. It challenged me to think with an innovative mindset about global tourism issues that need to be solved urgently, I got the privilege to collaborate with diverse brilliant minds and embrace innovation as a tool for real sustainable global impact. After everything I walked away with new knowledge, stronger problem-solving skills, a winning concept, new friends and the confidence that young future leaders can truly shape the future of tourism,” he said. Being part of the first ever G20 Tourism Hackathon South Africa was an inspiring and eye-opening experience for me. It challenged me to think with an innovative mindset about global tourism issues that need to be solved urgently ~ Inganathi Zimela Inganathi Zimela and Teagon Spykerman The Catalysts, Map My Biz, and Ubuntu Unlimited at the G20 Tourism Hackathon Challenge Photo Credit: Photo supplied Photo Credit: Photo supplied
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx