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.
Ranyaka celebrates Women’s Month
This week, Amy and Sonya from the Ranyaka team had the privilege to attend a Women's Month high tea event hosted by Valcare. Every day for the month of August, Valcare has been sharing stories of strong, inspirational women who are doing incredible work in their...
Second stakeholder meeting in Dwarsriver Valley
Yesterday, Ranyaka in collaboration with Impact Funding Platform, Valcare and sponsor, Nedbank, hosted the second Dwarsrivier Valley stakeholder meeting. This meeting is part of a broader process to look at ways in which we can all play our part in developing and...
Magalies Rocks the Cradle
Adventure-seekers, intrepid travellers, foodies and families are in for a 72 hour treat later this month as the annual Magalies Rocks the Cradle Festival weaves its magic! Set against the backdrop of Magaliesburg’s breath-taking natural beauty, the three-day weekend...
Jamestown entrepreneurs event
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the Nedbank-sponsored Jamestown business breakfast held on Friday. As a joint initiative of Ranyaka, Nedbank and the Jamestown Community Development Trust, the breakfast was the first of a series of events to be...
Know Your Bank workshop
From craft artists to recycling, watch repair to security fences, selling home-cooked meals to passers-by to marketing on Takelot, this morning's group of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs joined the Ranyaka team in learning more about the ways in which a good...
In conversation with Magalies Arts Co-Op
Magaliesburg has always been known as a haven for artists and a treasure trove of talent spanning a wide range of artistic mediums. Recognising the immense potential for the town’s artists to benefit from collaboration and for their work to be showcased on a broader...
Proud of My Town Paarl – one year
One year ago, Nedbank launched its Proud of my Town fund - a community fund with a difference that has since benefited 1,017 children from 40 crèches in Paarl and surrounds. Ranyaka, working alongside a growing network of organisations, serves as the implementing...
More than socks – it’s about a future
Imagine being 10 years old and bullied at school because your socks don't match, your school dress is worn out or you don't have the right jersey. Imagine skipping school altogether because you can't exactly attend class in your pajamas. This happens and the effect is...
Rapid Repair (tactical urbanism) in Lantana
Last week, a team of volunteers from Lantana, Paarl hit the streets to conduct a survey of their neighbourhood: What is working, what is not; what is beautiful, what is not. What can we do quickly, easily and at very little cost that will make a big difference?Ranyaka...
It’s a big wide world out there
From literacy projects to art therapy; feeding schemes to disaster relief; senior citizens outreach to skills development; counselling services to child welfare and many, many more, Stellenbosch is home to an impressive network of NGOs - all hard at work to make the...
Save the date | Magalies Rocks the Cradle 2018
Diarise the dates! From 24 to 26 August, the town of Magaliesburg will be hosting the third Magalies Rocks The Cradle Festival. This one-of-a-kind event showcases the best Magalies has to offer - and the events, which take place at numerous venues in and around...
Changing lives – one classroom at a time
This morning, we visited Klapmuts Junior Academy to see how the children are settling into their brand-new classroom-in-a-container, donated by Nedbank as part of its Proud of My Town programme in Paarl. The excitement and energy levels were sky high - as high as...
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.