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.
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....
Every day a highlight
The salon space at the CoCreate Hub in Stellenbosch is warm and welcoming as I sit down to chat to Phelisa Bekwa of Phel’s Hair and Beauty. Hailing from King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape, Phelisa has called Kayamandi, Stellenbosch home for the past 10 years....
Traditional flavour with a Thabo twist
When you sit down to talk to Thabo “Thabs” Bekwa about his business, Indalo Street Food, you know straight away that this a man who is excited about the food industry. We sat down to chat at the Stellenbosch CoCreate Hub, where Thabo is preparing and serving his...
Growing the future
When two minds think alike, great things happen. Mlondolozi “Mlo” Mnxeba and Simlindile “Simli” Patekile are two such minds, and their business, Inveli Farms (formerly S and M Eco Farming) was born out of such an alignment. Inveli Farms is a small enterprise that...
A vision of growth
When you talk to Basil Williams, it is immediately apparent that he is a man who knows his stuff. The owner of Herbal View Hydroponics has over 21 years of experience in horticulture and agriculture and prides himself on his range of naturally grown and organic herbs...
Homebaked goodness in the heart of Stellenbosch
By the time pastry chef Nabeelah Cassiem, was eight years old, she had a dream – to own a coffee shop and deli. Nabeelah’s vision saw her baking creamy and decadent cakes and ‘fancies’ which would be on offer alongside her mom’s delicious savoury pastries. The owner...
Road to success
Obtaining your learner’s certificate and then your driver’s licence is probably one of the most important and exciting moments in any person’s life. For many Stellenbosch residents, waiting at the other end of this achievement is Niklaas Willemse (49), the owner of...
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.