Two students from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) were part of the winning team at the 2025 Standard Bank UniHack Competition, held in Cape Town on 2 and 3 April.

Now in its third year, the event brought together student innovators from across South Africa to tackle real-world challenges using technology.

This year’s competition focused on finding innovative solutions in the areas of education, mental health, and support for people with disabilities. A total of 13 student teams competed.

UWC’s Oluphi Vukaphi and Nabeelah Khan were members of Team High Five, which placed first for their development of Handy, a mobile application that translates South African Sign Language into text in real time.

The app is designed to support better communication between hearing-impaired individuals and their peers in educational, professional, and social settings.

Team High Five included students from UWC and Stellenbosch University, and the winning project was praised for its innovative use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to solve a real and ongoing accessibility challenge in South Africa.

According to Standard Bank, the UniHack competition aims to foster a culture of innovation and collaboration among young people while building a pipeline of skilled professionals to support South Africa’s ICT sector.

The event provided students with a platform to showcase their creativity, technical ability, and commitment to addressing some of the country’s most pressing societal issues through technology.

UWC’s involvement and success in this initiative highlights the university’s role in nurturing talent that is both socially conscious and future-focused. It also reinforces UWC’s broader mission of preparing graduates who are ready to lead and innovate in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This article is based on a press release from Standard Bank, published on 3 April 2025.

Thumbnail: FreePik