Plone Stellenbosch Sprint January 2026

January 2026

Plone Stellenbosch Sprint

A strategic Plone Sprint in Stellenbosch, January 16 - 19 2026

Where Schedule Getting there Accommodation Sponsors

This is the first Stellenbosch Plone Sprint (but not the first in South Africa), and is sponsored by the Plone Foundation.

This Sprint aims to focus on Plone strategy and marketing, to set the clear path forward through Plone 6 to Plone 7 and beyond. Where better to do this, than in the Rainbow Nation, where the spirit of ubuntu reigns.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Where

The Sprint will be held at the brand new NITheCS office, on the Stellenbosch University campus. Internet and coffee, and a relatively quiet campus before the new semester starts.

Address

National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science (NITheCS)
Room 003 Level 1
Entrance 0016
Merensky Building
Merriman Street
Stellenbosch
7600

We expect 15 attendees, including the Juizi team. If you want to participate, add your name to the list.

Schedule

We plan to sprint every day from 8:30 - 16:00 with a lunchbreak around 12h30. The Stellenbosch University has a Student Centre (Neelsie) very close by with food options, and the Botanical Gardens restaurant as well as coffee shops and lunch places in town are not far away.

We plan to start Sprinting on Friday 16 January already, so be sure to arrive on Thursday 15 January. Local schools open on Wednesday 14 Jan so flight prices should be a bit lower if you plan your flight on that day, to land on Thursday 15 January.

We are also planning to have some fun. The Stellenbosch area has many opportunities for that. We'll start with a South African braai with boerewors, tjops and braaibroodjies, wine, beer and Appletizer at the Juizi offices on Thursday evening 15 January 2026 at 18h00.

And Mike has promised tai chi sessions, thank you Mike.

Schedule:

Thursday Jan 15: evening braai at Juizi office (8 Jean Road, Stellenbosch)
Friday Jan 16: 8h30 coffee with 9h - 16h facilitated strategy session at NIThECS offices, Stellenbosch University campus. 16h - 17h wrapup

Date	Venue	Time	Event	Other
Thurs Jan 15	8 Jean Road, Stellenbosch	from 18h	Braai	Dinner: Juizi account
Fri Jan 16	NITheCS offices, Merensky Building, Stellenbosch University campus	8h30 - coffee 9h00 -16h00	Facilitated strategy session & Tai Chi	Lunch: Neelsie student centre (own account) Dinner: group booking in Stb town (own account)
Sat Jan 17	NITheCS offices, Merensky Building, Stellenbosch University campus	8h30 - coffee 9h00 -16h00	Facilitated strategy session, & Tai Chi	Lunch: Neelsie student centre (own account) Dinner: group booking in Stb town (own account)
Sun Jan 18	NITheCS offices, Merensky Building, Stellenbosch University campus	8h30 - coffee 9h00 -16h00	Facilitated strategy session, & Tai Chi	Lunch: Neelsie student centre (own account) Dinner: group booking in Stb town (Juizi account)
Mon Jan 19	NITheCS offices, Merensky Building, Stellenbosch University campus	8h30 - coffee 9h00 -16h00	AM: Wrap up. PM: Local Plone Editors feedback session. University Developer Societies	Lunch: Neelsie student centre (own account) Dinner: group booking in Stb town (own account)

Getting there

Fly in to Cape Town International Airport and take a shuttle or pre-arranged transport to Stellenbosch. There is no public transport, and do not take any of the unofficial taxi services offered at the airport. The Juizi team can also assist with information about transfers.

Accommodation

Stellenbosch has many accommodation options that book up very quickly. Top tip: book in the town centre. Traffic can be a bit of a headache, so book somewhere within walking distance. Ideally book south of the NITheCS offices, inside the area marked on the map (below). It might seem tempting to book slightly further away, but transport is a pain and it is then not so safe to walk around at night. It is summer after all so you'll want to be able to do that!

If you are not sure, just contact us.

Accommodation that we've used in the past:

airbnb.com has good options
Rozenburg Guest House
Eendracht Guest House
Just Joey Guest House
107 Dorp Street Hotel
4 Piet Retief
Twice Central
Hotel Krige
Stellenbosch University accommodation on campus (Crozierhof)

Map of Stellenbosch with accommodation options

A note on safety

We want you to leave our beautiful region with nothing but happy memories. To ensure a pleasurable trip, please keep in mind a few precautions that you can employ on all your travels across the world:

Avoid walking in deserted and dark places at night.
Never allow strangers to assist you in any way when withdrawing cash at an automated teller machine (ATM).
At night, park in a secure and well-lit area with street guards.
Keep photocopies of all valuable documents in a safe place.
Don't take a taxi that you have not booked through a reputable app, or have arranged through your accommodation.

Things to do

Stellenbosch, South Africa's 2nd oldest town, has much to offer and is well-known for excellent food and wine, nature for walking, hiking, running, and cycling especially mountain biking with options to rent a good bike. The wider area is also very popular - like Cape Town and Hermanus and further. Contact the Juizi team for ideas if you are not sure.

Or contact Nigel and Yolande at Stobers Tours. They can assist with "basically everything from booking accommodation, airport pick ups and drop off and also sightseeing tours that include the Garden Route. Kindly pop Yolande an email at: bookings@stoberstours.com."