DjangoCon US 2025 Recap in Chicago

DjangoCon is a place to learn, share, meet new people, and feel inspired. This year’s conference reminded me why being part of this community is so special. Over 300 members of the Django community, plus sponsors, gathered at the Voco Hotel downtown, and the atmosphere was full of energy and curiosity.

This was my first DjangoCon US, and it took me all the way to Chicago. It was an amazing experience, full of learning, interesting conversations, and wonderful people. Here’s a peek into my journey, what happened before, during, and after the conference, and some of my thoughts.

The Journey There

DjangoCon US is a very welcoming community, but getting there was not easy. I left Windhoek, Namibia, and had a long, tiring flight. If you’ve traveled far, you know what I mean, you just accept that long hours in the air are part of the trip.

I flew from Windhoek to Munich, spent a couple of hours there, then boarded my flight to Chicago, United States of America.

Chicago looked amazing from the airplane. The best part of a window seat is seeing the city from above. I even read a little about Lake Michigan while waiting for my ride.

Something really sweet happened when we landed. A Lufthansa crew member said, “We have a gift for someone from Namibia.” And it was for me! What a warm welcome to Chicago.

Of course, travel isn’t without chaos. After clearing immigration, I asked for help with my luggage. Between answering questions for others and waiting for a delayed Uber, one of my bags went missing. Two hours later, after running back to the terminal and riding the airport train, we found it.

Day One: Taking the Stage

I attended multiple sessions on day one, even though it was the day of my talk and I was feeling really nervous. These were some of the talks I had noted down before I traveled.

Keynote:

I attended the keynote “Lateral Thinking with Weathered Technology: How The Nintendo Philosophy Applies to Modern Web Development” by Carson Gross. He explained a philosophy by Nintendo’s Gunpei Yokoi called “Lateral Thinking with Weathered Technology.” The idea is to use older, proven technology in creative ways rather than always chasing the newest thing.

This talk was interesting to me because I work on a project called Kafkai, an AI content strategy tool, where we translate articles into Japanese. Seeing Japanese mentioned, i started paying much attention. By the way, I don’t know Japanese myself, so don’t ask me please! Django’s built-in internationalization can handle that, so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised.

Django Events Foundation North America (DEFNA) Update

I also attended a session by Peter Grandstaff, President of DEFNA. He gave an update on DEFNA's activities in the community, how we can help, and what the foundation is looking forward to in 2026.

The Building a Wagtail CMS Experience that Editors Love talk by Michael Trythall explained how to make Wagtail easier for editors. He explained that most frustrations don’t come from the CMS itself, but from poor planning and design. We looked at ways to structure content with StreamFields, Pages, and design systems so it works better for editors. I’m excited to watch the video once it’s released.

The Evolving Django: What We Learned by Integrating MongoDB talk by Jib Adegunloye was exciting. He showed how Django can work better with MongoDB now. I learned about new features like query support and custom model managers using raw_aggregate.

While talking about MongoDB, I met Anaiya Raisinghani, someone I’ve followed online. She was just as friendly in person and shared extra tutorial resources. Meeting someone you admire online is a special feeling.

Afternoon Highlights

During afternoon I attended The X’s and O’s of Open Source with ShotGeek by Kudzayi. Kudzayi’s Django-powered project, ShotGeek, started from his childhood love of NBA Jam and all the basketball data available through nba_api.

I contribute to the project, it was fun to see it presented.

Then it was my turn. That afternoon, I gave my talk, Django Without Borders: Ten Years of Open Source in Namibia. Being on stage felt surreal.

I spoke about how we built one of Africa’s most impactful Python and Django communities in Namibia, highlighting both the strategies and the challenges we faced in creating a thriving, inclusive open-source ecosystem in a region with limited tech infrastructure. I shared how open-source tools like Django have been applied to address real-world local challenges through community-driven projects.

I also talked about a few projects I’m currently building for the community. These are passion projects that I develop at my own pace, without pressure, with the intention of open-sourcing them once they’re ready for wider use.

The audience was warm and curious, and their questions were thoughtful. That kind of engagement is what makes DjangoCon so special.

After my talk, I grabbed coffee and laughed with someone asking about “tricky questions.” I hadn’t prepared, but it was fun seeing people so genuinely interested.

Day Two: Conversations and Connections

Python Software Foundation Update

Dawn Wages, President of the PSF, shared updates about the foundation and what’s coming next.

I spent the day attending talks, meeting people, and visiting sponsor booths. Meeting sponsors was really inspiring, I learned about their work, shared feedback, and discovered new tools.

I spent time with the Wagtail team, exploring resources and learning about new features I can use. Meagen Voss from the community showed me different features of Wagtail, including StreamFields, and shared useful links I plan to check out.

When I say sponsor booths are full of resources, I’m not joking, it’s definitely worth spending time with them.

I also made sure to visit the Django Software Foundation booth. I grabbed some stickers for the community, as we are preparing for Django Day @ PyCon Namibia 2026 in February or March.

There was a talk by Mariattta titled Reverse Engineering the QR Code Generator and URL Forwarder , it was about creating QR codes and URL forwarders using Python and Django. We learned how to build our own QR code generator instead of relying on third-party sites, customize QR codes with colors and logos, and create a URL forwarder so you can change the destination without reprinting materials. It was very interesting.

Speaker and Organiser Dinner

That evening, we went to the speakers and organiser's dinner at the jaw-dropping Carnivale restaurant. It was relaxed and fun, a perfect chance to chat outside the conference and enjoy everyone’s company. The dinner was such a thoughtful way to bring everyone together. Big thanks to the organisers for making it happen!

Day Three: Keynotes and Community

The day started with Marlene Mhangami keynote, Django Reimagined for the Age of AI. She reflected on what makes Django strong and how its principles can guide modern projects.

Django Software Foundation Update

DSF President Thibaud Colas took the stage to share updates on the foundation’s work. He spoke about how we can each play a role in strengthening the Django community, the upcoming board elections, other conferences to look out for, and what the DSF is excited about as we head into 2026.

Listening to his talk, it was clear just how healthy and active the Django community is worldwide. More and more countries are starting their own user groups, a reminder that this movement keeps growing, reaching new places, and connecting people everywhere.

Black Python Devs Booth

One highlight was helping at the Black Python Devs booth. Me, Tim Schilling and Benedict ran a donation campaign, and it was exciting to see many people stop by and contribute. Special thanks to Tim for organizing a fun picture giveaway.we were able to match last year’s DjangoCon US fundraising by accepting donations for a giveaway of DjangoCon Africa art made in Tanzania according to Jay Miller we did quiet well. The funds used to help organise and support community events in the Black Python Devs communities around the world. Thank you brothers, we pulled this in unique way.

picture by Katherine "Kati" Michel.

I also attended talks from Michael Riley’s Entering the World of CMS with Wagtail.

Panel: Two Decades of Django

The Two Decades of Django – The Past, Present, and Future panel brought together leaders who shaped Django. Speakers included:

• Tim Schilling – Co-Founder of Djangonaut Space, Django Steering Council

• Natalia Bidart – Django Fellow

• Rachell Calhoun – Co-Founder of Djangonaut Space, Django Girls organizer

• Peter Grandstaff – President of DEFNA

• Jeff Triplett – DSF Board Member

• Dawn Wages – PSF Chair

They reflected on Django’s history, lessons learned, and where the framework is heading. It was inspiring to hear directly from people shaping Django’s journey. Listening to them talk about challenges, successes, and the future was inspiring.

I attended many interesting talks I couldn’t even list them all, from Django itself and testing, to Django Governance by Tim Schilling and Rachell Calhoun, and even AI from veteran speakers like Will Vincent and also Paolo Melchiorre , among others. Some of these sessions overlapped, so I had to split my time between them.

Networking

For me, the best part of DjangoCon is always the people. I spent hours chatting in the hallways with contributors, newcomers, and experienced developers, every conversation sparked ideas and reminded me why this community is so special. I was happy to finally meet Frank Wiles in person, and reconnecting with my brother Benedict Kofi Amofah was such a joy. I also had a great chat with Jon Gould from FoxleyTalent, the last time we met was at DjangoCon EU 2023, if I recall correctly. He’s a cool guy, full of knowledge. Here’s a polished version of that part with your same friendly tone: As usual, Paolo was ready for a selfie, always a fun moment to meet him again. And finally catching up with Anaiya Raisinghani after several missed chances in the past was really special.

During lunch, I had a conversation with Kojo Idrissa and other's about all kinds of things, different cultures, people, and how countries are different. These are the kind of conversations where you learn things you thought you already knew.

Day Four: Sprint and Exploring the City

Sprint Day

I didn’t attend the official sprint because I was tired. But I spent the morning updating the Django Namibia website, which felt good.

Millennium Park

In the afternoon, I explored Millennium Park. Standing in front of Cloud Gate, the “Bean,” felt amazing. I took many photos trying to capture the reflections of the skyline.

I also wandered through gardens, saw art installations, and watched kids splash at the Crown Fountain. I met another traveler who only spoke Spanish. We helped each other take pictures using gestures, it was funny and a little chaotic, but also a reminder that connection is universal. The mix of art, open space, and the city skyline made me feel happy and inspired.

Beautiful Chicago....

Reflections

Django may bring us together, but it’s the people, their curiosity, kindness, and energy, that make it special. If you ever get the chance to attend DjangoCon, my advice is simple: go, meet people, and share your story. You never know who you’ll inspire, or how much the community will inspire you.

Photo Highlights

• Cloud Gate (“The Bean”) – Reflections of the skyline.
• Millennium Park Gardens – Peaceful flowers and paths.
• Street scenes and strangers – Locals and travelers who offered to take my picture.
• Conference moments – Hallway chats, snapshots, and interactions that showed why the Django community is special.

Looking back, DjangoCon US was a journey I’ll never forget.