Who we are

About the Hub

The Cortex Accelerator Hub (Pty) Ltd is a South African innovation and skills organisation that runs mentored hackathons with public funders and host institutions. The Hub designs each hackathon around the sector it serves, brings in mentors and judges, and supports the strongest teams after the 48 hours are over.

Cortex Hacks is where the Hub runs its hackathons. Each hackathon is listed with its own dates, themes, eligibility rules and prizes.

Visit thecortexhub.africa

Participants seated together listening during a Cortex Accelerator Hub session — A Cortex Accelerator Hub session in East London

Founders, mentors and judges watching presentations at a Cortex Accelerator Hub session — Mentors and judges in the room during pitches

Inside the Hub

The Cortex Accelerator Hub’s home base at 33 Church Street, East London — open workspace, a gaming and robotics lab, and rooms built for teams working long hours together.

Open-plan workspace with desks, workstations and a foosball table at the Cortex Accelerator Hub — Open-plan workspace and workstation bays

Creative area with instruments, table tennis and posters at the Cortex Accelerator Hub — Creative area for breaks between builds

Row of gaming PCs with mechanical keyboards and racing chairs in the Hub's lab — Gaming and robotics lab

Two Cortex Hub participants playing foosball in the workspace — Downtime on the workspace floor

Tiered lounge with bean bags, cushions and a projector for screenings — Tiered lounge and screening steps

A Cortex Hub welcome address delivered on stage to a seated audience — Hub programmes on the main stage

Illustrative linework — radio-telescope dishes over the Northern Cape’s five districts

What a Cortex hackathon involves

Forty-eight hours, two mentor check-ins, and a working prototype at the end. No prior hackathon experience is assumed.

Hour 0
Hackathon opens
Hour 10
First mentor check-in
Hour 22
Second mentor check-in
Hour 48
Prototypes locked

Looking for a hackathon?

Every published hackathon, open and concluded, is listed on one page.

Browse hackathons