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.
Simply brilliant soccer
Over 200 young soccer enthusiasts participated in a two-day boot camp in Umlazi, Durban on 16 and 17 July 2022 and learnt that becoming a professional soccer player is about so much more than scoring goals! The Brilliant Khuzwayo Schools Bootcamp and Tournament took...
Building business in Umlazi
If you run your own business, you know that it can be a tough journey. A lonely one, even. Even if you know your product or service well, there is still so much to learn, so many things to consider and many micro and small business owners simply do not have the...
Building safer communities
One cannot build a thriving community without building a safe community. In every town where we work across South Africa, community safety arises as one of key pain points. How can people thrive in every sense of the word if they do not feel safe where they live,...
After the storm – Proud of my Town supports KZN
Hope amidst the havoc – Proud of my Town responds to the KwaZulu-Natal flooding crisisThe devastating floods that ravaged KwaZulu-Natal in April 2022 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest natural disasters to ever hit the province. Entire...
Truly proud of Mankweng
Three years ago, our team embarked on a journey with the community of Mankweng, Polokwane. To envision a brighter future and together, work to implement practical projects that would improve the quality of life of Mankweng’s residents.Earlier this month (April 2022),...
Spreading our wings in Polokwane
Transforming communities is not a solo expedition. It takes a team, a shared vision and a willingness to collaborate. In Polokwane, we are excited about the buy-in from community members and local stakeholders – the real drivers of change on the ground.Earlier this...
When life gives you tomatoes, make hot sauce!
Two tonnes of tomatoes land on your doorstep. What do you do? This isn’t a riddle. This is what happened in March 2022 in Magaliesburg when a Men’s Forum meeting at the Nedbank-funded community activation hub received a generous donation of mixed-grade tomatoes from...
Reimagining our places
How do you feel when you walk down the street where you live? Inspired? Welcomed? Safe? Or perhaps you feel gloomy and anxious? Maybe you haven’t even really thought about this. What about your business areas, schools, parks or pieces of open land? It’s simple,...
Growing for green
A wise horticulturalist once said: “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.” The children at Licebo Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre in Umlazi township in...
Greenbacks give back
Did you know that for the past two and a half years, the Nedbank Greenbacks Programme has been making it possible for clients to support community development in South Africa – and it still is! This means that if you are a Nedbank client who has joined the Greenbacks...
Sweet success
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I built my life." These words by a famous author also ring true for Zinhle Maphanga, one of thousands of small business owners whose business was looted in July 2021.Zinhle employed a team of two at her sweet shop,...
Come rain or shine, soccer wins the day!
This past December saw 16 football clubs and four netball teams participate in the four-day 2021 Sammy Seabi Football tournament in Polokwane. Even scorching heat, rain and wind could not deter the passionate players and a cheering crowd of over 1,000 spectators....
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.