Bus ticket
A return bus ticket to Cape Town — we book it for you.
PyConZA Opportunity Grants · 2026
The Bus Factor Project
In software, a project's "bus factor" is the number of people it could lose — to a bus, or to anything else — before it grinds to a halt. The more people who carry the knowledge, the stronger the project. This year we're working on the bus factor of the Southern African Python community. And yes, we're doing it with actual buses.
Opportunity grants
What the grant covers
The Bus Factor Project is PyConZA's opportunity grants program. For 2026, it's focused entirely on supporting Python communities across Southern Africa. Apply and we'll get you to Cape Town and back.
Conference ticket
A free ticket to the main conference, on us.
Accommodation
A hostel bed, booked and paid for you.
It won't be glamorous, but it'll get you to PyConZA and back.
Why Southern Africa?
Using our position to lift the region.
PyConZA was the first PyCon in Africa. We've been running for about 15 years, and we've figured a few things out. We know we're in a privileged position, and we'd rather use it to support the people around us. By focusing our grants on Southern Africa, we can:
Support more people
A bus ticket costs far less than a flight, so the same money reaches more of you.
Boost regional communities
Send people home with new knowledge, connections, ideas, and inspiration.
Grow African role models
Put more African role models on our stage, to inspire the next generation of Pythonistas and community leaders.
How to apply
Three steps to get started.
- 1 Make an account on this website.
- 2 Go to your profile page and choose to apply.
- 3 Fill in the form.
Ask for only what you need, and chip in where you can.
Tell us what you need — accommodation, transport, a conference ticket, or some combination. Our grants team works with limited resources and has some hard choices to make: if you ask us to fund a whole trip while someone else asks only for accommodation, we may need to support the person who asked for less. We say this not to discourage you — ask for what you need, and we'll genuinely try to help — but so you understand how the decisions get made.
After you apply
How you'll hear back.
Once you've applied, we'll let you know whether your application was successful as soon as we can. Sometimes this takes a while: we're still raising funds, and we open doors as the funding comes in. So if you don't hear from us right away, don't worry — we haven't forgotten about you.
You can help
Put someone on a bus.
We're accepting donations and looking for sponsors. You can also help by simply telling people about the project.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Can I buy the bus ticket or pay for accommodation myself and get paid back?
No. We book and pay for these ourselves rather than reimbursing you. Moving money across African borders isn't always easy, and currency conversion and bank charges can eat into a grant.
Do you cover food or a daily allowance?
No. The grant covers three things: your bus ticket, your accommodation, and your conference ticket. Meals, a daily allowance, and other costs are up to you. We'll get you here and give you a place to stay — please budget for the rest.
Can I apply if I'm not in Southern Africa?
Regretfully, no. We'd love to open the doors wider, but we believe that concentrating our efforts on Southern Africa lets us build something that lasts.
