Discovery Gradhack

At Discovery we are obsessed with doing things differently

Our business is about changing people's lives for the better. To be better for our clients, we are encouraged to always look for new ideas and ways to make those ideas real.

WE'RE ONE OF THE TOP INNOVATORS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Our ambition is to be the best insurance organisation in the world, and a powerful force for social good. Our company was started by two forward-thinking actuaries, Adrian Gore and Barry Swartzberg, who are still at the helm of the business. They started an early tradition in our business of always looking for clever ideas and solutions where others see problems.

Since then, we have become known as innovator and challenger; a business with people who transform what is ordinary into something extraordinary.

WE HAVE THE DATA. AND THE SPECS!

This year, we will host a virtual Discovery Graduate Hackathon for IT students from South African universities from the 24th - 26th July 2026. 50 students will get a chance to be part of an immersive work experience solving real challenges through technology opportunities in the Discovery environment. The top 3 teams will then be invited to present their ideas to our judging panel at 1 Discovery Place, Sandton on the 7th August 2026. This year the winning team will win R100,000! Participating Gradhackers stand a chance to be permanently employed at Discovery. Please see out FAQ page if you have any questions not answered here.

50 students will get to experience our exciting environment

Our 2026 Virtual Gradhack runs from 24th to 26th July. Please submit your applications by 31 May 2026 and be one of the students to take part in this event.

Open to all final year IT and Data Science Students studying at a South African University or Academy.

Build the Future with Gradhack 2026

Gradhack is Discovery's annual innovation challenge where top Computer Science and Information Systems and Data Science students collaborate, experiment, and build technology solutions to real-world problems.

Working in teams, participants design and prototype ideas inspired by real business challenges, using modern tools and technologies - including AI - to bring their solutions to life.

Selected teams will take part in a fast-paced innovation weekend where creativity, problem-solving, and technical thinking come together.

Every year Gradhack challenges students to solve real-world problems that matter.

For 2026 we've identified three opportunity areas where technology - and especially AI - has the potential to create meaningful impact. When submitting your idea, your team should choose one of the themes below and propose an innovative solution within that space.

If your team is selected for the Gradhack weekend, you will be assigned a new business requirement within the theme you selected, which you'll use to design and build your prototype during the event.

Theme 1 - AI for Personalised Health and Wellness

Technology is transforming the way people manage their health, fitness, and wellbeing. In this theme we're interested in ideas that explore how AI could support individuals in building healthier lifestyles, improving performance, and staying motivated over time. Think about how intelligent systems might analyse personal context, respond dynamically to changing conditions, and provide meaningful guidance that helps people achieve their goals.

THE CHALLENGE

We're looking for solutions that combine data, intelligence, and thoughtful user experience to create truly personalised health journeys.

Theme 2 - AI for Smarter Everyday Living

Making healthy choices isn't always easy. Many people struggle with information overload, time constraints, and uncertainty about what choices are best for them. This theme focuses on how AI and digital innovation could help people make better everyday decisions around food, nutrition, and lifestyle.

THE CHALLENGE

We're looking for ideas that combine personalisation, behavioural insight, and great product thinking to make healthy living more accessible, engaging, and practical.

Theme 3 - AI for Safer Communities

Safety and security remain some of the most important concerns for individuals and communities. This theme explores how technology could be used to support safer environments - from individual homes to entire neighbourhoods. Think about how data, analytics, and intelligent systems might help people act earlier, respond faster, and build stronger community-level protection.

THE CHALLENGE

We're looking for ideas that show how technology can be used responsibly and creatively to solve meaningful societal challenges.

Great Prizes up for grabs

The winning team will receive a cash prize of R100 000
Participating Gradhackers stand a chance to be permanently employed at Discovery

Important to note: Employment offers are subject to candidates having successfully completed their qualification by January 2027.

Why Gradhack

Gradhack is more than a hackathon. It's an opportunity to solve meaningful problems, collaborate with talented peers, and experience how real technology teams work. Participants build working prototypes, engage with Discovery engineers and technology leaders, and demonstrate how they approach real-world challenges. For many students, Gradhack has been the start of an exciting career journey in technology.

Launch Your Career

GradHack is also a pathway into a career at Discovery. Following the event, selected participants will have the opportunity to interview with Discovery business units, where they can showcase their skills and explore potential roles within the organisation.

Top candidates may be offered permanent positions, making GradHack not just an event - but a potential starting point for a career in technology.

Who Should Apply

Gradhack is designed for curious, creative students who enjoy solving problems and building new ideas. Ideal candidates include final-year students studying:

Computer Science
Information Systems
Software Engineering
Data Science
or related technology disciplines.

We're looking for students who demonstrate curiosity, structured thinking, creativity, collaboration, and a willingness to experiment and learn quickly.

Submit your idea

You can enter more than one idea for the same challenge, or enter more than one challenge.

Entries to the 2026 Discovery Gradhack are now closed. Be sure to look out for the 2027 event next year.

A day in the life of a Gradhacker at Discovery

Meet some of the Discovery IT Leaders that you will interact with...

Derek Wilcocks

Group CIO

Derek joined Discovery in 2018. He is responsible for Group Information Systems which includes all infrastructure, security, data governance, member and intermediary digital servicing channels, technology innovation and corporate systems. As the chair of the Discovery CIO forum he is also responsible for joint technology initiatives and governance across the Discovery Group worldwide.

Nadira Naidoo

Vitality CIO

Nadira joined Discovery in 2006 as a Business Analyst for the Vitality International Markets. In 2010, she moved over to Vitality RSA and headed up the systems implementation of the projects. Nadira is currently responsible for the IT governance, project delivery, support and finance within the Vitality RSA environment.

Kevin Dreyer

CIO Discovery Insure

Over the last 22 years Kevin has built a distinguished career in Consultancy, Agency, Enterprise environments and Financial Services. He has held various senior leadership roles, including Systems Management and Architecture.

Kevin started his career in 2002 in a very innovative startup and has been involved in startups and scaling businesses ever since. In 2010, he joined Vitality Life, playing a pivotal role in the Discovery Prudential Life journey. He was instrumental in transitioning the business from the PRU JV and defining and implementing a strategy to run the business and systems in both the UK and South Africa, ensuring an exceptional customer experience and delivering on the business strategy. Kevin's leadership helped establish Vitality Life as a leader in Digital, consistently achieving excellent business results.

In the past five years, Kevin has played a critical role in GIS, modernizing platforms, implementing digital transformation, and defining and executing strategies that significantly improve business capabilities. His efforts have significantly enhanced customer and staff experiences, as well as system performance and availability

Kevin's innovative approach and commitment to excellence have been key to the success of the teams that he has led. His unique ability to bridge technical and business domains allows him to effectively communicate with senior business leaders and inspire his team to deliver successful solutions. Kevin continues to demonstrate the Discovery leadership style and remains an inspiring thought leader, driven by his thirst for knowledge and dedication to business success.

Zaid Parak

Group Chief Information Security Officer

Zaid has over 20 years of IT experience across a wide range of disciplines, including Networking, Infrastructure, Development, IT Operations, Enterprise Architecture, Security and working knowledge of Risk management with audit exposure.

Zaid joined Discovery in April 2017 and as the Group Chief Information Security Officer, he is accountable for Information Governance and Security at a group level and is responsible for setting the strategy and vision by developing and implementing group-wide programs. He is known for having a bias for action and has laid out a clear strategic path for the information governance security journey in Discovery. He has, since joining, successfully provided distinct strategic and technical leadership for the Information Governance and Security business function across the Discovery Group and knitted together a team under him who are dedicated and focused on preventing and detecting Cyber Crime.

Jamie Whittaker

Systems of Engagement CIO

Before joining Discovery, Jamie worked across the EMEA region for Johnson & Johnson. He cut his teeth on any and all projects that came his way during the .com bubble, working as general lackey and web monkey for a number of successful and not so successful dotcoms.

His background is primarily in the design, user champion and web development space. He describes himself as a "part-time thinker, full-time enthusiast, herder of cats" and truly believes that a sense of humour and enthusiasm are the best assets to have on your CV.

Angela Robertson

Head Of Data Science

Angela joined Discovery a decade ago in the cross-company analytics team, focusing on the application of operations research in the business. The team has grown into the Group Data Science Lab - a team of close to 30 people - which she now leads. Their work follows the theme of the science of better: improving process efficiency, staff productivity, client sentiment and health.

The focus is on the creation of data assets and application of advanced modelling for the local and international markets, using the latest cloud technology. More recent work has seen data science enhance personalisation and precision in the form of new product design and the use of generative AI in servicing.

Johan Marais

Technology Services Platform Services Manager

Johan has been in the IT industry for more than 20 years and has work in several verticals ranging from Point of Sales Solutions, Customer Support, Enterprise Storage and for the last 9 years focusing on various forms of Virtualization and more recently in the role as Snr Platform Services manager where the focus is on Infrastructure DevOps practices across Private, Hybrid and Public cloud services.

Johan has been running the VMUG (VMware User Group) in South Africa for the past 7 years and has achieved the "vExpert" accreditation issued by VMware for the past 8 years. He also serves on the VMware Customer Technical Advisory Board (CTAB) as well as the CloudHealth Customer Advisory Board which has international representation and influences the future of virtualization, cost management, governance, automation, security, and performance management.

It's amazing how, through our innovative technology, people are constantly in touch with Discovery - be it via our Service Centre, website, mobile applications or social network platforms.

Seshupjane Segooa - Business Analyst

There is an awesome energy and vibe amongst the people at Discovery. There are many incredible facilities and services available onsite for our convenience.

Akhilesh Nundlal - Developer

Discovery uses the latest available technology, whether it is a mobile app for our clients or the internal technology infrastructure, to make things happen more efficiently.

Marius Breytenbach - Developer

For queries please contact Discovery_IT_Recruitment@discovery.co.za

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