FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL

What is KATO?

KATO is a tech disseminator! KATO connects makers, innovators and creators in Africa and Europe. Covering: tech, fintech, crypto, hardware, art, engineering, cybersecurity, data, drones and so much more. Get in touch if you have any questions, KATO loves connecting people to tech.

EVENTS

I didn’t get tickets before the event sold out, but I have my heart set on this one. Is there anything I can do?
Having hosted many of these events, we’ve realised that about 30% of guests don’t show up. We advise hopefuls to give their names in at the door on the night of the event, and once we’ve confirmed attendees on the list, we will happily give you the seat that may otherwise stand open. It’s not a foolproof system, there is a possibility that you won’t get a seat, but there is a good chance, so come along.

I would love to speak or nominate a speaker/topic for an event in future, how can I do this?
Brilliant! Please get in touch and tell us your suggestions, we really value your input.

Do your events have food and what dietary requirements do you cater for?
Most of our events specify in the details or tickets whether there is food or not, but in general the #KATOTalks only have drinks, and the meetups have food. We do try to cater for most dietary requirements (e.g. lactose/gluten intolerant, vegetarian, halal, etc.) but please do let us know if you need something else, and we will make a plan for you. 

Are tickets sold out?
If you go to where our tickets are sold out and it says "Sold Out" then our tickets are sold out, but do not despair we run regular events and we always have last minute cancellations so we advise hopefuls to give their names in at the door on the night of the event, and once we’ve confirmed attendees on the list, we will happily give you the seat that may otherwise stand open. It’s not a foolproof system, there is a possibility that you won’t get a seat, but there is a good chance, so come along. 

Will there be tickets for sale at the door? 
Yes, provided we still have vacancies or someone does not show. Please note that our events our usually sold out so we advise securing your place to avoid disappointment.  

Do you offer refunds?
We do not offer refunds but we suggest posting on the event page (Facebook, Meetup, etc) that you have x amount of tickets for sale or feel free to donate it to someone who cannot afford it. 

What time does the event end or how long is the actual talk?
Each event differs, we do put the agenda on the event page as well as emailing all attendees an outline so you can plan your evening. In general we leave 30 minutes for drinking and networking from the time that the doors open. #TechTalks runs for an 1.5 hours (1 hour for the talk) giving you time to go for dinner after the event.

What is #TechTalk?
KATO's #TechTalk is an event that brings you the cutting edge of technology and innovation as presented by a specialist in the chosen topic. The topics are made relevant and accessible to as many people as possible. All events are accompanied by drinks and networking, making otherwise daunting topics fun and attainable. The #TechTalk platform gives the public the chance to have a one-on-one experience with a specialist and find out more about intense, interesting and complicated topic that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

How can I find out about future events?
You can subscribe to our mailer here or follow us on Facebook.

Is there an event in my area?
We currently run events in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, but due to an overwhelming amount of requests we have partners starting events in Johannesburg. Please do contact us if you have any questions.

Can I start an event in my area?
YES, we are so glad that you asked. Since we have a high demand of people requesting that we run KATO tech events in their area we are always happy to guide and advise people who want to partner with us and host the perfect tech event. Please fill this in and we will be in touch with a guide book on to host a KATO tech event as well as give you a mentor who will give you one on one guidance along the way.

What is WIT/ what to you do at the events?
Women In Tech is a community designed to empower females who are in tech or want to learn more about tech. Our events vary from hosting a talk to mentoring sessions and coding workshops. We suggest following either of these two groups to stay up to date, WITCPT or WITJHB.  

Are men welcome at WIT events?
Yes, we encourage men and women from all walks of life to be part of this group, as we are strong believers that the more diversity the better the solution.

SPONSORING

We are interested in sponsoring KATO Communities and/or Events. Where do we sign up?
Great, please apply here and we’ll be in touch to discuss and make sure our goals align so that we both the get most out of partnering with each other.

Communities

What is Gobal Tech Communities
Global Tech Communities is an online database bringing together tech events, and communities from around the world. This enables anyone to easily find an event or community in an specific tech topic in a certain location. 

How do become part of the Global Tech Community initiative?
There are several ways for you to get involved: you can attend events, host an event, add your event to the data base, become a community member, add your community to the database, create your own community, sponsor an event or community and spread the word to encourage others to get involved.

What is WIT/ what to you do at the events?
Women In Tech is a community designed to empower females who are in tech or want to learn more about tech. Our events vary from hosting a talk to mentoring sessions and coding workshops. We suggest following either of these two groups to stay up to date, WITCPT or WITJHB.  

Are men welcome at WIT events?
Yes, we encourage men and women from all walks of life to be part of this group, as we are strong believers that the more diversity the better the solution.

Am I classified as a "women in tech"? 
Whether you work in tech, are interest in tech or want to support women in tech we suggest you join our group. We all use tech in our daily lives, so almost everyone can be considered to be in tech in some shape or form whether you are an engineer, journalist, teacher, project manager or CEO. Here are some of the industries a few of our members are in: electronics, bioinformatics, coding, data analysis, gaming, audio, astronomy, etc.

What is the Modern Alchemists/ what to you do at the events?
The Modern Alchemists is South Africa's Maker community. We meet to make, create and do.Anyone that is into art, coding, gaming, electronics, music or any form of making is part of this group. Our meetups are a chance to interact with likeminded people, skill swap, ask for advice, play games or just drink & eat. They usually involve electronic hacks/builds, speakers, board game nights, computer game competitions, 3Dprinting demos, etc. 

What is the Arduino Cape Town/ what to you do at the events?
Arduino Cape Town is an online electronics community that welcomes anyone who wants to create cool things with electronics, code or technology. You do not need to be based in Cape Town. We welcome everyone :D Our meetups are hosted by the Modern Alchemists, they are a chance to interact with likeminded people, skill swap, ask for advice, play games or just drink & eat. They usually involve electronic hacks/builds, speakers, board game nights, computer game competitions, 3Dprinting demos, etc. 

Is there a tech community in my area?
Please go on to the Global Tech Communities page to see if there is a tech community in your area.  

How do I start a tech community?
We are glad you asked, since KATO has created and runs several tech communities we are happy to share our knowledge and guide you to creating your own tech community. Please fill this in and we shall be in touch.