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.
Invitation to quote – Stellenbosch Economic Hub
Local contractors are invited to quote for the refurbishment of the old Victoria Street clinic in Stellenbosch. Ranyaka was awarded a ten-year lease by the Stellenbosch Municipality in 2019 to transform the disused clinic building into an entrepreneurial development...
Where persistence meets a passion for fashion
Walking into the converted structure that is home to Yeyethu Designer Studio is rather like walking into an old-fashioned sweet shop. You are greeted by a riot of colour – Shweshwe fabrics lie scattered across the worktops, patterns are pinned to the walls, shelves...
From day zero to hero
How Day Zero inspired a Hero: The story of Asiphe ‘Sips’ Makhumalo - a young black woman, not only building a name for herself in a traditionally male-dominated water sector - but also a firecracker with a burning desire to see a greater representation of youth, in...
Keep on keeping on
Keep on Keeping on (KOKO for short): This is the motto that keeps Michelle Maluqua going, regardless of tough times and difficult circumstances. Better known as Mich, Michelle is the founder of MJ Events and Hiring in Klapmuts in the Western Cape. Michelle is also a...
From neglect to nurture
What does one get when you have a large-but-unloved piece of open land, next to a school with a proactive principal, a community that cares and partners with vision? A beautiful transformation that is already unfolding into one that holds the potential to enrich the...
Let’s workshop the future – Boitekong
Proud of my Town is spreading its wings! Today, we held the launch workshop in Boitekong, Rustenburg in the North-West Province. Community members and stakeholders shared their insights on the challenges, opportunities and resources in their area. This workshop is the...
Diamonds in the dust
Farming for the Future takes root in Klapmuts As the harsh impact of lockdown regulations continue to expose - and often exacerbate - the many disparities within our society, there are still diamonds to be found in the dust and dirt of the COVID crisis. One such...
Living every day to the end | the story of Thabs Dube
“After the accident I didn’t just lose my leg. I lost hope. It was a struggle just to go through one day. I had to solve depression by finding something that I loved.” – Thabo Dube Thabo Dube grew up with his grandparents in Soweto. When they passed away, he wanted...
Building Business in tough times
Recovery and Relief Programme for Community Entrepreneurs The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the South African economy. Thousands of micro, survivalist and small enterprises are amongst those who currently find themselves in a dire position. In response to...
Showcasing entrepreneurs | Elani Plaatjies
Next in line in our series of showcasing some of the entrepreneurs who are participating in the Ranyaka Building Business programme, is Elani Plaatjies from The Food Triangle. Here is Elani's story. Picture a custard biscuit cup filled with a little mixed-berry...
Welcome to the team, Sithembiso!
We are excited to introduce a brand-new addition to the Ranyaka family! Sithembiso Malevu has joined the Ranyaka team as a Programme Manager and we are thrilled to have such a committed, motivated and skilled leader join our team. Sithembiso (or S’the, as she is...
Showcasing entrepreneurs | Muain Arnolds
Over the next few weeks, in support of local businesses, we will be showcasing some of the entrepreneurs who are participating in Ranyaka's Building Business programme. First in line is Muain Arnolds, the entrepreneur behind Shuttle Master in Stellenbosch!Muain was...
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.