DevConf, the only major independent developers’ conference in SA, has sold out all of the original 700 seats available, but has now opened bookings for an additional 50 places.
Following last year’s standing room only success attended by 470 developers, DevConf 2017 was moved to a larger venue at Vodaworld in Midrand, which can accommodate 700 seats. DevConf organiser Robert MacLean reports that only weeks after opening for registration, the event was another sold-out success. “We have managed to secure 50 additional seats, which we are now offering to those on our waiting list. The remaining places will be made available from Thursday this week,” he says.
DevConf 2017, to be staged on 9 March, promises to deliver the hottest topics across five tracks, as well as ‘epic swag’ and the latest technologies in the sponsor exhibition area. 
Highlights on the agenda include Terri Burns, associate Product Manager at Twitter in the U.S., whose talk will look at how algorithmic bias can indirectly allow machines to learn prejudiced behavior; and AnujahSewchurran, CEO of Chillisoft, who will address the value of a software developer to an employer. Dariel Senior Developer Geoffrey Lydall will give insight into what Chef is; while developer Guillaume Belrose will outline his experiences with Elm, and developer Steve van Heerden will explain why Infrastructure as Code didn’t work out as hoped. Big issues like Blockchain, SQL vs NoSQL, Mob programming and reverse-engineering APIs for stealing data will also come under discussion.
DevConf is designed to give software developers ‘a buffet of tools, practices and principles’, where developers can learn, network and be inspired, say the organisers. DevConf 2017 is presented in partnership with EOH, BBD, Derivco, DVT, Microsoft, ABSA, AllanGray, Amazon Web Services, Alassian, Google, OfferZen, Britehouse, Chillisoft, IQbusiness, Micro Focus, SUSE,entelect, and Driven Software.
Last-chance registrations will open on Thursday 2 March. Get more information and book at http://www.devconf.co.za/ or follow @devconfza
