Foojay Podcast #42: Jozi-JUG and Cape Town Java Community

Java communities thrive on the people who show up month after month to run meetups, line up speakers, and welcome newcomers. This episode takes us to South Africa to hear how two of those communities keep the lights on. We talked with Corneil du Plessis and Steven Makunzva about Jozi-JUG and the Cape Town Java Community in Foojay Podcast #42.

What we talked about

A short introduction to South Africa for listeners who have never visited
Living and working in Cape Town
Steven’s path into Java
How Corneil and Steven got involved in their local JUGs
The history of Jozi-JUG
Running virtual JUG meetups during Covid
Restarting in-person events after Covid
Upcoming Jozi-JUG events
Interaction between speakers and attendees
Tips for first-time JUG speakers
Plans for the Cape Town Java Community
Memorable past sessions

Why it matters

Local JUGs are where many Java developers find their first conference talk, their first mentor, and their first open source contribution. Hearing how organizers in Johannesburg and Cape Town keep their groups active gives ideas to anyone running, or thinking of starting, a community.

See the Foojay Podcast #42 for all info, shownotes, links, etc.