Monika Amunyela
A team of young innovators explored how artificial intelligence can reshape decision making in Namibia’s media sector after they participated in a 48-hour hackathon hosted by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) in collaboration with New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC).
Team Ctrl + Alt + Defeat consists of Tsunelde Endjala, Martha Amalia, Malaika Vilho, Alfred Denzyl Jaftha and Jo-Ann Saal.
The group was able to develop a prototype, aimed at helping media organisations better understand and make sense of operational and commercial data.
According to the team, their project addresses a key challenge faced by many organisations in interpreting difficult and underutilised data.
“We focused on a practical challenge around how media organisations can interpret operational and commercial data more effectively in order to support faster, better-informed decisions,” said team leader Alfred Jafta.
The prototype is designed to transform raw internal data into meaningful insights that enable improved planning and better resource allocation. In a rapidly growing media landscape, such as Namibia’s, these tools could enhance how organisations perform internally and how well they meet audiences’ demands.
The team built their solution using modern web-based frameworks, data processing tools and cloud-oriented development environments, allowing them to move quickly from concept to a working minimum viable product.
Artificial intelligence was incorporated to support the system’s analytical component.
“AI formed part of the broader logic of the solution, mainly in how data could be interpreted and presented in a more intelligent way,” Jaftha stated.
Time was not on their side, but the team managed to complete their prototype within the given time frame by clearly dividing roles and prioritising what they felt was more important.
“Speed alone is not enough. Clear thinking, role clarity and disciplined execution matter even more when time is limited. The main challenge was balancing ambition with time,” he said.
-mamunyela@nepc.com.na