FAQ

1. Who runs DevConf?

   DevConf is owned by the non-profit organisation The Developer User Group. DevConf is run by two of the DevUG directors in their free time, Candice Mesk and Robert MacLean.

2. What is the goal of DevConf?

   DevConf has a simple goal: give professional software developers an opportunity to network and learn from their peers in a safe environment.

3. Where can I find information about your COVID policy?

   All details on our COVID policy, and our approach if there are government restrictions can be found on our COVID Info Page.

4. Can I buy tickets without a credit card? Is it possible to generate an invoice for comapnies?

   Totally! There are two options available to you:

   Buy online

   Our online ticketing solution supports Instant EFT, Credit Card, SnapScan, or Zapper payments.

   EFT and Manual purchase

   We have a manual process too, where you can email us all the relevant company details (VAT number, name, PO number etc...) and we will generate a manual invoice for you to pay.

5. Can I have a free ticket?

   Unfortunately not. DevConf is designed to be cash neutral so we do not have any excess funds to sponsor free tickets. Only speakers and organisers receive complementary access to the event. We do work with sponsors on processes for them to donate tickets, so follow us on social media to hear about those opportunities when they come up.

6. I would like to speak at the event!

   That is awesome! We have a call for speakers each year and you can get the details of this when the call for speakers goes out by signing up to our mailing list.

7. Who is Fizz Marketing?

   Fizz is the planning and logistics partner for DevConf that handles the administrative duties for DevConf.

8. How did this start?

   The idea of DevConf originated with Robert MacLean in late 2013; the idea was to run an event for developers who could not attend the Developer User Group which happened outside of normal working hours. The first DevConf took place in 2016. DevConf is proudly run by Candice Mesk and Robert MacLean.

9. How much money do you make?

   Nothing. DevConf is designed to be cash neutral so there is no profit nor loss, however, DevConf has made a small surplus each year (which is better than a loss) and that surplus has been used to fund the following year as well as cover some of the community initiatives run by the Developer User Group. Where possible (budget- and space-permitting), those DevUG committee members who are not involved with DevConf planning are allocated one non-transferrable ticket each to attend DevConf.

   In 2016, some of this surplus funded trips for two organisers to attend other conferences with the intention of learning from those events, and a UHK keyboard was bought for each of the organisers (3 that year) as a gift at a cost of less than R10 000. In 2021, the organisers bought two laptops to replace aging equipment used to run the event. The organisers have not recieved any other financial benefits.

10. Is the event auditted?

    Yes, DevConf is audited each year after the events. The Developer User Group is also audited annually and is fully compliant with SARS and CIPC.