PyConZA 2023 Conference Report ¶

Kartoza staff members Admire and Eli recently got the chance to attend the annual PyConZA conference in Umhlanga, Durban. This two-day event organised by the Python community, featured outstanding talks and insightful presentations. The hybrid format enabled attendees to join either in person or online, providing the flexibility to engage with both guests and presenters during the conference in person and online.

Admire Nyakudya, one of Kartoza’s resident Python experts, gave a well-attended talk on Leveraging Python in Geospatial Applications. Admire discussed and provided some practical demonstrations on how he uses Python during development and in the geospatial industry to automate repetitive tasks and create custom solutions to resolve challenges related to working in remote environments.

Favourite Talks and Events ¶

1. Supercharge Your Django Apps: Unveiling Performance Secrets with the Magic of Django Silk! - Using Django Silk to optimise database queries, detect N+1 and other performance issues to improve database performance.

2. River - A Python library for building MOA (Massive Online Analysis) framework, enabling machine learning tasks on streaming data.

3. PRQL: A modern language for data transformation - Designed for data analysts and engineers, combining relational algebra with libraries like Pandas, Polars, dplyr, and LINQ, supporting multiple SQL dialects.

4. Toolsmithing: Convenience through code - Building tools to automate everyday tasks or fill gaps where existing tools lack functionality.

Conference Venue and Networking ¶

The conference was held at the Premier Splendid Inn Hotel in Umhlanga. The large deck attached to the venue had stunning views of Durban’s coastline and provided the perfect backdrop for the presentations. The Kartoza team thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to network with the diverse Python community and learn new ways to use Python across multiple platforms.