WE CO-CREATE STRONGER PLACES AND THRIVING ECONOMIES.
Ranyaka is a South African non-profit organisation and professional Place-Based Practice working with communities, businesses, municipalities, funders and other partners to strengthen the places where people live, learn, work and do business.
Developed over more than a decade of on-the-ground practice, our THRIVE Framework grew from the conviction that lasting transformation requires a different approach: one that puts people, place and collaborative partnerships at the centre. The four pillars of THRIVE, Clubs, Hubs, Networks and a shared Platform, are some of the key mechanisms through which the framework takes shape in practice.
We bring people, knowledge, investment and practical solutions together to strengthen the economic, social and environmental conditions that help places become more productive, resilient and regenerative.
By the end of 2025, our work had reached 38 communities across 15 towns in 8 provinces in South Africa. This includes our role as national implementation agent for the Nedbank-funded Proud of My Town programme.
WE WORK WITH
PLACES
The place is our starting point.
No two places are the same. Every community has its own relationships, assets, businesses, institutions, challenges and opportunities.
We start by understanding the place – bringing together different disciplines, partners and resources around one shared purpose:
HELPING A PLACE FUNCTION BETTER,
WE WORK WITH
PEOPLE
We work with local stakeholders, strengthening change agents, facilitating cross-sectoral collaboration and integrating citizen-led initiatives into the over-arching strategy for the area.
Our objective is collective, as opposed to isolated impact.
THROUGH COLLABORATION, WE TACKLE WHAT IS WRONG AND UNLOCK WHAT IS STRONG.
WE WORK WITH
PIONEERING INVESTORS
We develop smarter ways of investing in societal transformation. Our objective is sustainability, real impact and maximum return on investment.
Nedbank’s Proud of my Town initiative which is a prime example of Ranyaka’s place-based framework and smart investment in action.
SMART INVESTMENT LOOKS BEYOND ISOLATED INTERVENTIONS.
Let us bring restoration
“We all need a healthy Earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health & survival, and happiness. A healthy planet is not an option — it is a necessity.” – Earthday.Org Every year, 22 April is observed as Earth Day across the globe. This year, Earthday.Org’s theme...
The power that lies beneath my trauma
"For us, this is about letting young girls know the power they possess within themselves to change the narrative, to grow mentally, find balance psychologically and to physically be able to protect themselves against anything that threatens their existence, anything...
Building a dream – one brick at a time
It is difficult to imagine anyone starting a business amidst a pandemic and to say that 2020 was filled with numerous twists, turns and uncertainties, would be an understatement. So, imagine starting a business during this time – and not just any business, but a...
Proud of my Town kicks off in Umlazi
During the last week of March 2021, the Nedbank Proud of my Town (PoMT) programme kicked off in Umlazi township in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. This brings the number of communities across the country where the programme is currently being implemented to fifteen. PoMT...
When life hands you dirt, plant seeds
A community's quest to achieving sustainable development through regenerative agriculture. "Achieving food security is a major priority in our village and through initiatives such as the greenhouse project, we are well on our way to achieving that goal." These are the...
Introducing Ikayalabantu FM | Home of the People
Conversations with Thando Dyantyi, Sinesipo Sibuta and Odwa Nomavuka As a young South African filmmaker, Thando Dyantyi’s strongest desire has been to tell the life-changing stories of people in his community and around his country. These stories are for everyone to...
It’s not enough to be compassionate, we must build
The unfolding story of Gugu Makhubu "I knew this is who I was going to become. This is me. I love helping people. I want people to become better versions of themselves. I want them to reach greater heights, do more and be more,” says Gugu Makhubu, Founder of Vuguma...
Sugar and spice, pastry and everything nice
Gloria Mashigo's journey as a chef is both unexpected and inspiring - with intriguing highs, agonizing lows and heart-warming in-betweens. But what drives this chef to create cakes of impeccable taste and quality? Walking into her premises and looking at the quality...
“I am an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder”
Guest blogger, Lesego Masethe, shares the story of the second-place winner in this year’s Ranyaka Building Business competition held in Mamelodi, Tshwane.While there is no clear definition for the term entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, what is common in all its...
A social entrepreneur’s quest for rural connectivity
Guest blogger, Lesego Masethe shares the story of the first place winner in the Ranyaka Building Business Social Enterprise competition for 2020.Given Maboela's Flex Internet Café in Stoffel Park, an informal settlement situated in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, is...
Celebrating a champion
Every great cause needs a champion. Every vision needs visionaries who have the depth of insight to recognize potential. And every inspired idea needs those who have the courage to venture into unchartered territory. On the Proud of my Town journey, this champion is...
Meet our essay competition winners | Grade 11-12
Meet the winners of group C (grade 11 - 12) in this year's Brain Waves Development essay competition. Two winners share first place - congratulations! Topics include climate change and the effect of Covid-19 on learners' communities. FIRST PRIZE Lebogang Masebulele...
ABOUT US
In 1996, two young town planners from very different backgrounds reported for duty at a local municipality in Gauteng. Only two years had passed since the dawn of democracy in South Africa.
WHAT WE DO
Ranyaka works hand-in-hand with communities, local stakeholders, all levels of government and investors to develop and implement transformation strategies for towns and communities.
WHERE WE WORK
By mid-2020, Ranyaka will be working in 13 towns and neighbourhoods in 9 towns across seven provinces throughout South Africa. We focus mainly, but not exclusively, on under-resourced communities.