From Zero to Submission: Your First Zindi Data Science Hackathon
"From Zero to Submission: Your First Zindi Data Science Hackathon"
Ready to transition from learning data science theory to building your very first machine learning model?
Join us at Universal Technology and Management University (UTAMU), Bugolobi Campus for an interactive, hands-on workshop and mini-hackathon hosted by Zindi Uganda. This session is designed to guide aspiring data scientists, programmers and tech enthusiasts through the end-to-end process of competing on Zindi.
Moving beyond high-level introductions, this practical session will walk you through a live, beginner-friendly dataset step-by-step. You will learn how to set up your workflow, explore real-world data, build a simple machine learning model, and successfully post your first score on the Zindi leaderboard before the event ends.
During the event, participants will:
Set up a cloud-based Python environment using Google Colab.
Load and explore a real-world African dataset from Zindi.
Learn fundamental Data Preprocessing and Feature Engineering techniques.
Train a baseline Machine Learning model (e.g., Logistic Regression or Decision Trees).
Generate a valid submission file and upload it live to the Zindi platform.
Understand how to read public leaderboards, evaluate baseline metrics, and iterate on model performance.
Learn team formation techniques and collaborative strategies for competitive data science.
Work alongside peers in a supportive, live coding environment.
What to Bring:
A laptop with a web browser and internet connectivity.
An active Zindi account (create one for free at zindi.africa prior to attending).
Curiosity and eagerness to build—basic familiarity with Python is helpful, but fully guided template code will be provided!
Whether you are studying Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Analytics, Information Systems or engineering disciplines, this session will turn passive curiosity into an active data science portfolio item.
Date: Saturday, 5 November 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Venue: Universal Technology and Management University (UTAMU), Bugolobi Campus, Kampala
Format: Hands-On Physical Workshop & Mini-Hackathon
Facilitator:
Kamwanga Rahiim
Zindi Ambassador – Uganda
Come with a laptop. Leave with your first live submission on the Zindi leaderboard."