A Decade of Code Championing the Future of Digital Innovation
The 10th Annual Programming Competition recently hosted on campus celebrated a significant milestone by marking a Decade of Code and a decade of nurturing Namibia’s brightest young tech minds.
Held under the theme “Empowering the Future: Coding for Education, Science, and Technology,” this year’s competition expanded its reach by introducing the Primary School Category for the very first time. The addition created a continuous STEM development pipeline from primary school through to tertiary level, reinforcing NUST’s vision of fostering innovation and digital literacy at every stage of education.
Reflecting on this milestone, Prof Colin Stanley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Partnerships, applauded the initiative of introducing primary schools. “We wanted to allow younger learners to explore coding early—not just as a subject, but as a way of thinking and creating. Watching them rise to the challenge has been inspiring. This is how we build Namibia’s future innovators.”
The Winners
Over the course of ten days, 53 teams from schools and universities across Namibia engaged in coding challenges, problem-solving workshops, and mentorship sessions led by industry experts. The Tertiary Category was dominated by Team Phoenix from NUST, who clinched the first prize of N$10 000 for developing a Medical Expert System designed to assist with malaria and typhoid diagnosis — an innovation with clear national relevance.
Code Crafters from UNAM and Tech Ninjas from Triumphant College took second (N$7 000) and third place (N$4 500) respectively. At the high school level, Tekkies from Windhoek Technical High School won the first prize of N$8 000 for creating a Smart Parking Management System, while Coders of Tomorrow from Delta Secondary School and Cyber Teens from Canisianum RC High School secured second (N$5 000) and third (N$3,000) places.
Upcoming Coders
Meanwhile, the youngest coders from Tarahouse Academy, captured hearts and headlines in the Primary Category, earning medals and certificates for their creativity and consistency across robotics and coding challenges. One enthusiastic nine-year-old participant proudly shared: “It was my first time coding in a competition, and I was so happy when our project worked. Now I want to keep learning and make even bigger games next time.”
Josephina Muntuumo, Software Engineering Lecturer at NUST, said the competition reflects the institution’s broader mission of advancing innovation through education. “This competition has grown beyond coding—it’s about building Namibia’s innovation pipeline. Seeing primary learners code alongside university students shows that digital literacy has become part of our national DNA.”
Partnerships
The success of this year’s competition was made possible through strong institutional leadership and strategic partnerships. Corporate partners also played a vital role in amplifying the competition’s impact. The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), MTC Namibia, Letshego Bank Namibia, Young Engineers Namibia, TU Diverse Music School, and the NUST FCI Society all contributed to its success.
Speaking on behalf of DBN, Tonata Nghifitikeko highlighted the importance of sustained investment in youth-driven technology: “Supporting this competition means investing in our country’s digital future. The talent we see here gives us confidence that Namibia’s next generation of innovators is already on the rise.”
Beyond the prizes — which totalled more than N$40,000 — the event also opened doors to real opportunities. Letshego Bank Namibia extended internship placements to winning teams through the NUST Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Programme, offering participants a direct bridge to professional experience in the tech industry.
Looking ahead, NUST plans to expand the competition into a SADC Regional Coding League, establish a Startup Support and Incubation Hub, and collaborate closely with the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture to embed coding in Namibia’s schools.
