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.
Resilience amidst the rubble – rebuilding small businesses
The recent looting of malls in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has threatened the survival of hundreds of small businesses. In response to this crisis, Ranyaka in collaboration with the Nedbank Proud of my Town programme has launched a relief and recovery intervention to...
Taking the plunge
When Mhlengi Ngcobo and I meet at the CoCreate economic development hub in Stellenbosch, I can tell within minutes that this is a man that knows coffee. The owner of Coffee MM has made it his business to get to know the product that he roasts and brews inside out and...
It’s all about connection
When meeting Marvelous Matlou for the first time, you are immediately struck by his approachability and quiet confidence. The founder of MTalks and creator of iKommerce.co.za the online impact buying platform hails from the North West province, arriving at...
Keeping it cool – the story of Garnet Christians
Garnet Christians’ energetic demeanor is evident as he ushers us along his driveway. We were meeting to hear more about Acu-Temp (Pty) Ltd - the temperature control company he co-founded in 2014. When we commented on the beautiful garden, Garnet gave credit where it...
On tour with Kyle
Kyle Heneke has a spring in his step as he walks to greet me. Although he’s wearing his mask, I can see the smile in his eyes. Known as “Akker” to his peers in Idas Valley, this tour guide and owner of Valley Cultural Tours makes you feel instantly welcome in his...
Creativity is his style
Known locally for his unique sense of style, over-the-top wedding dresses, colourful bags and scarves, Michael Tlou is a true epitome of creativity. He is a self-made man. Michael was raised in a single-parent household where, as a young boy, he was fascinated by bold...
When passion meets visual storytelling – the story of Sandiso Cossa
“I think for me, photography is more than just taking images, they’re snippets of someone else’s life that you get to experience yourself.” That's how Sandiso Cossa describes his passion for photography in a nutshell. It was during a school trip to Durban where...
Where legends are made – the story of André Segals
Walking into Legends Barber and Academy, one can immediately tell that André ‘Ani’ Segals takes great pride in providing quality service. Situated at Stone Square at Welgevonden, Stellenbosch this men’s grooming space is just as welcoming as its owner with the spicy...
Creating opportunities and turning them into profit
"I kid you not, I knew I was something special when at just six years, I announced in front of my whole family that I was going to be a breadwinner," chuckles Samuel Moobeng, one of most diverse entrepreneurs in Mamelodi. His business, Moobeng Trading and Projects...
CoCreate Hub – nurturing entrepreneurship in Stellenbosch
For many years, the old clinic at 7 Victoria Street, Stellenbosch nurtured the physical health of local communities. In July this year, the historical clinic will once again open its doors – this time, as a unique space that will open the doors to economic inclusivity...
Why aren’t we doing enough?
This is the question that was asked during a gender-based violence (GBV) round table discussion held at Ebukhosini Training Centre in Mamelodi township in Tshwane, Gauteng on 30 April 2021. The majority of the group were men. This scene played out in an...
Join online – build on the ground
Introducing the Proud of our Towns Facebook Groups “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”The world of social media did not yet exist when Henry Ford spoke these wise words. But many decades later, they still...
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.