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.
Building Business in Mamelodi
The Ranyaka Building Business (RBB) programme, which is funded by the Nedbank Enterprise Development department and supported by the Nedbank Proud of my Town programme, recognises that a thriving local economy is a pivotal cornerstone of a thriving local...
Telling the stories that matter
Have you ever been deeply impacted by a person’s life story? Do you agree that storytelling is powerful, especially when someone shares their own story?We believe that stories have the power to unite, build empathy, connect, inspire and encourage. From 25 to 29...
Entrepreneurs showcase their mettle
The month of September brought with it a significant milestone in the Ranyaka Building Business programme in Mamelodi, Gauteng.Representatives from 113 small local businesses attended a Business Plan training session in Mamelodi, followed by an exciting Pitch My...
Proud of my Town kicks off in INK
Earlier this month, the Proud of my Town programme kicked off officially in the INK (Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) area in Durban when our team hosted an interactive activation workshop at a local community hall. A big thank you to the 91 participants from multiple...
Cocreate Hub | Celebrating a year
Sometimes words fall short. And today is such a day. Words fall short to even begin to describe the journey of the CoCreate Hub Stellenbosch - a journey to transform an old, disused municipal clinic into an inviting space where entrepreneurship is celebrated, local...
Building Business kicks off in Mamelodi
As rewarding as having your own business may be, any entrepreneur knows that it can also be very overwhelming at times. Regardless of how passionate you are about your product or service or how great a salesperson you are, chances are good that you simply do not have...
Unlocking opportunities for urban food systems
“More than with any other of our biological needs, the choices we make around food affect the shape, style, pulse, smell, look, feel, health, economy, street life and infrastructure of the city” 1 The Umlazi Food Network is an inspirational community-led project that...
Zwide gets sporty
Over 300 soccer fans gathered for the first Ranyaka/Nedbank Youth Mini Soccer and Netball Tournament which took place in Zwide’s Ward 26 during the last week of June 2022. Six soccer teams took to the field with Major Chiefs, Zwide Celtics and Amadamara showing their...
A splash of colour for mental health awareness
Youth Day 2022 saw over 700 fun-loving community members from Mahube Valley, ext 1 in Mamelodi East (Tshwane) paint the town red, blue, green, yellow and more at a fun Colour Run hosted to raise awareness around mental health issues affecting young people.Energy...
Our elders deserve our best
The elderly are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Sadly, physical neglect and psychological abuse of the aged is far more common than one realises. Addressing this issue, Yomelela Club, a senior citizens organisation in Zwide, hosted an Elderly Awareness...
Community safety matters
Have you ever come up with a great idea for a community project, only to see it fail because of crime in the area? A plan and practical measures are vital to ensure that safety forms part of any plan to bring positive change to your community. In Umlazi, Durban, the...
Klapmuts celebrates Youth Day
Youth Day 2022 saw young and old gather for a jam-packed programme in Klapmuts in the Western Cape. Some 250 energetic community members ensured that adrenaline levels were at an all-time high with activities ranging from netball, soccer, a marathon, “boere sport”...
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.