Introduction to OpenSearch: CapeTown Community Launch

We’re excited to announce the first-ever OpenSearch Project Meetup in CapeTown! 🎉
Join us for an engaging session where we’ll dive deep into the world of search, observability, security, and vector search — and discover how OpenSearch is powering modern applications. Whether you’re a developer, student, or tech enthusiast, this meetup is a great chance to learn, connect, and exchange ideas.
📢 Agenda & Speakers
1. How is OpenSearch doing?
A high-level overview of the current state of the project. This session covers the growth of the community, adoption statistics, and how OpenSearch has evolved since its inception as a truly open-source search and analytics suite.
2. What can you do with OpenSearch?
A look at real-world versatility. This intro explores diverse use cases—from application search and log analytics to security monitoring (SIEM) and observability—demonstrating how the platform solves complex data challenges.
3. What is the Core technology?
A deep dive into the engine room. This segment explains the underlying architecture, focusing on its Apache Lucene foundation, the distributed nature of its clusters, and how it handles indexing and searching at its most fundamental level.
4. Does OpenSearch scale?
Addressing performance for big data. This session focuses on scalability and resilience, detailing how OpenSearch manages massive datasets across multiple nodes while maintaining high availability and low latency.
5. Roadmap, How to contribute & New features?
Your guide to what’s next and how to get involved. This covers the upcoming release schedule, highlights recently launched features, and provides a clear path for community members to contribute code, documentation, or feedback.
6. OpenSearch in action
The practical "show and tell." This section features live demonstrations or case studies of OpenSearch in production environments, giving attendees a tangible look at the interface and its capabilities in real-time.
Speaker: Sujata Dodmani, Cloud Support Engineer in AWS
Cameron Peters, Cloud Support Engineer in AWS
📅 Date: March 14, 2026
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: River Club, 29 Gogosoa St, Observatory, Cape Town
Note: Please bring a valid government ID for entry
✨ Whether you’re curious about observability, vector search, or security in OpenSearch, or simply want to network with like-minded folks, this is the place to be.
⚖️ Code of Conduct:
All attendees are expected to follow the OpenSearch Code of Conduct