Judging criteria
| Criterion | Weighting | What we're looking for |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding the Problem | 20% | Demonstrates a clear understanding of the challenges faced by spaza shops and defines a meaningful problem to solve. |
| Solution Design & Innovation | 20% | A creative, well-reasoned solution that addresses the problem effectively. Judges will consider the team's design process, decision making, and how the solution evolved. |
| Use of Open Payments & Interoperability | 20% | Effective use of open payment technologies, APIs, standards, or Interledger concepts where appropriate. |
| Technical Implementation | 15% | Quality of the implementation, architecture, code, prototype, or proof of concept. The solution should demonstrate technical feasibility. |
| User Experience & Accessibility | 10% | The solution is intuitive, accessible, and designed with the end user in mind. |
| Impact & Feasibility | 10% | The solution has the potential to make a meaningful difference for spaza shops and could realistically be adopted or expanded. |
| Presentation & Demo | 5% | Clear communication of the problem, solution, implementation, and overall project during the recorded presentation and demo. |
Judging philosophy
tip
Great hackathon projects aren't just about the final product - they're about the journey. Judges will evaluate how teams approached the problem, explored ideas, justified their decisions, and demonstrated their solution. Whether your project is a polished prototype or a technical proof of concept, we're looking for thoughtful problem solving, innovation, and real-world impact.