South Africa's premier programming competition is back with an exciting new theme that will test coders' strategic thinking and adaptability. The 2025 Entelect Challenge invites participants to break free from captivity in "Zooscape," a Pac-Man-inspired multiplayer strategy game where programmers must code bots clever enough to outsmart the zookeeper and escape to the wild.
A New Adventure Awaits
In this year's challenge, participants will navigate their animal avatars through a maze-like zoo, collecting food while avoiding or outsmarting the vigilant zookeeper. The game features dynamic obstacles and strategic power-ups that create unique scenarios in each round, requiring bots to adapt to ever-changing environments.
"Zooscape challenges programmers to think several moves ahead while remaining flexible enough to respond to unexpected changes," says the Entelect Challenge team. "It's the perfect blend of strategic planning and real-time adaptation."
Tournament Structure
The 2025 Entelect Challenge consists of three distinct phases: two qualifying tournaments and the grand finale. The top performers from each tournament will earn their coveted "Golden Tickets" to the finals at Comic Con Africa.
Following the first tournament, participants will have access to "friendly matches" - a relaxed environment to test their bots against other competitors without affecting their standings. These practice sessions provide valuable opportunities to refine strategies before the second tournament.
Into the Wild - The Finals
Deadline: September 20, 2025.
Venue: Comic Con Africa
Prize Pool: R200,000
The culmination of the challenge brings together the eight finalists (four from each qualifying tournament) to compete for substantial cash prizes:
First place: R70,000
Second place: R35,000
Third and fourth place: R25,000 each
Fifth to eighth place: R10,000 each
Community Support and Resources
Participants won't have to navigate this challenge alone. The Entelect Challenge provides an active forum where players can seek guidance, share insights, and connect with fellow competitors. The forum is accessible here and serves as a valuable resource for both newcomers and veterans.
Additionally, the annual Build-A-Bot Workshop provides hands-on assistance for those looking to get started with their first bot, making the competition accessible even to those new to competitive programming.
Open to All Skill Levels
The Entelect Challenge is designed for accessibility, not just for coding prodigies.
"The Entelect Challenge shouldn't be viewed as something that only super coding geniuses can enter. This competition is designed for anyone with a basic level of programming who is interested in the world of machine learning and the future of software," explains Bianca McFadyen, Internal Marketing and Communications Manager at Entelect.
Since 2012, the Entelect Challenge has been a cornerstone event for programming talent across South Africa. The competition consists of two major components:
The Main Challenge: Running from March to September, participants develop sophisticated bots to play the custom-created game. Through the tournament structure described above, competitors vie for a place in the finals at Comic Con Africa.
Hackathons: Three one-day events throughout the year, including two exclusively for university students and one dedicated to IITPSA members, where individuals or teams solve intense problem statements under time pressure.
The Challenge supports multiple programming languages, making it accessible to developers from diverse backgrounds.
"This year we expect a wide variety of people from different backgrounds to enter which is going to make the player strategies really exciting. Who could win is anyone's guess," adds the Entelect team.
A Legacy of Innovation
Founded in 2001, Entelect has been committed to nurturing tech talent in South Africa. The Entelect Challenge, running since 2012, has evolved into one of the country's most anticipated programming competitions, with finals hosted at major events like Comic Con Africa and rAge.
Ready to Break Free?
As the 2025 competition gets underway, programmers across South Africa are already strategising how their bots will navigate the zoo, collect resources, and ultimately escape to freedom.
Enter the Entelect Challenge here
The wild awaits those clever enough to escape!
Watch the Theme Reveal Video
