RLabs makes a local impact in Cape Town by empowering communities and addressing complex problems, while also operating as a global movement. It creates an environment where people are empowered to help others through training programs, social enterprises, and innovation incubators. Starting with a few borrowed computers, RLabs has now trained over 7,000 people, created 10 startups, and operates research hubs in multiple countries through university partnerships.

3. RLabs makes a local impact but is a global movement that
provides innovative solutions to address various complex
problems.
It creates an environment where people are empowered to
make a difference in the lives of others.

4. The Journey of
RLabs
The journey of RLabs has
always been one of the
impossible.

5. • The entire journey and
our reason for doing
what we do is always
about …..

6. People

7. The Landscape
In Cape Town we have
beautiful beaches,
mountains and views…

8. The Landscape
… then just a few km’s
away we are faced with
problems which lead our
community to difficult
social circumstances.

9. The Landscape
Our community was faced
with an impossible
environment where the
community needed one
thing above all else…..

10. The Landscape
Hope. There is nothing
worse than looking into
someone eyes and seeing
no HOPE!

11. “A Community in Tension is where the wellbeing
of Citizens are being threatened”

12. Community
RLabs understood when we started that we worked in an environment where
people were vulnerable. We identified local champions who were our change
agents in the community. Embracing its context was vital and we are always
about doing things in context.

13. Humble Beginnings
– 1st Partner
This is a pic of our first
computer borrowed to us by
our local partner Impact
Direct. A community based
NGO. We used one of their
rooms and dial-up connection
in 2007.

14. First Champions –
2nd Partner
We partnered with CPUT
to use their computer lab.
And these are our first
group of champions. Most
of them are still with RLabs
today and make up the
management team.

15. Reconstructing Citizens

16. Reconstructing Communities

17. Reconstructed
Young people who have
been involved in drugs,
gangsterism or any other
social ills .

18. Birth of Mom2.0
After training the first
group at CPUT, we then
acquired a few more
computers and upgraded
to ADSL connectivity. The
original champions now
became the facilitators
and trained the women in
the community. Called
them Mom2.0. The same
women they used to
disempower they were
now empowering.

19. More courses…
As interest from the
community grew so did
RLabs. We received a
donation of laptops and
expanded our training to
include Social Media for
Teens, Senior Mobile
Sessions, Mom3.0, The
Reconstructed and Social
Media for Social Change
courses.

20. RLabs components
6 components of RLabs.
Community well-being is
always in the core of what
we do at RLabs.

21. Academy
Since we started we have trained over 7,000 people in our academy and over
4,000 people through other forms of training. All the courses offered are free
of charge to the community. They include: Digital and New Media, Geeky
Moms, Introduction to Social Media, Entrepreneurship, Social
Entrepreneurship, Project Management, Events Management, Web
Development, Online Safety & Security, PR & Marketing, Photography
Principles, Photo Editing

22. Academy
Empowerment is
fundamental in any
community driven activity.
More so in a living lab
context.
Enable the community
members and champions
to empower others and to
create their own
innovations

23. Play & Learn
Approach
Equipping the team with
the skills needed in the
Living Lab environment

24. Don’t be afraid
Dare to be different and
not to be afraid of trying
something new. Stand out
from the rest and don’t be
afraid to be the first to try
something.

25. # Social Media Trainers: +2,000
# Trained in Social Media: +7,000
# of Mobile Subscribers: +2,900,000
# of Interactions: +35,000,000

26. Economic Development
57 jobs direct and 168 indirect,
226 families reached and 1100+
lives impacted. 10 startup
businesses created with
community members

27. Internships &
Employment

28. Education
Offer 5 bursaries per year for tertiary
education, 93% of RLABS team who were
school leavers returned to complete
matric, 100+ accessed University
certificates, 7044 community members
trained through academy (unemployed,
single moms, youth, elderly), partner with
18 universities

29. Social Development
2.9mil people reached through mobile
support services in SA, areas such as
substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, Family, life
skills, career guidance. Also work with
variety of NGOs and schools doing
capacity building

30. DAS – Online Support
Services

31. Partners
World Bank University of
DFID Southampton
Mxit Vodacom
Cell-Life Foundation
UCT DGMT
CPUT BNP Paribas
DST WHO
DSD UWC

32. Partners
Johannesburg Amsterdam
Univeristy University
NMMU KHAYENET
Aalto University City Mission
Finnish Foreign CMES
Ministry BCA
Plan International 1% Club
Getsmarter GivenGain

33. Using innovation to
transform communities
RLabs is powered by
Innovation.

34. Innovation
Incubator
Innovation and creativity is what fuels and drives RLabs and its growth.

35. Using Innovation
An example of our first
innovation that was birthed in
RLabs. Because the first group
of champions we trained in
Social Media for Social Change
were all ex-drug addicts, gang
members, gang bosses who
suffered from some addiction
or social ill. When we asked the
community what is the tension
(problem) drugs was high on
the priority list. The community
then asked if there was a way to
use technology and to help
their own community at the
same time.

36. JamiiX
An online drug advice
support platform was formed
called: JamiiX is a web-based
enterprise platform that
allows organisations to
engage with their users on
various instant messaging
and mobile chat platforms. It
is currently mostly used by
non-profits and development
agencies who use JamiIX to
provide low-cost
communication between
people in need and social
service organisations.

37. She’s the Geek
Monique Theron Ross: was
an ex-drug addict and
suicidal just 4 years ago.
She was addicted to
substances and now she is
addicted to technology
and she’s a real geek

38. She’s the Geek
She’s the Geek: A startup
by two local women who
provides technology tips,
reviews, consulting,
insights and
empowerment from a
woman’s perspective. A
social website is being
developed to support the
She’s The Geek enterprise.
Winner of SA blog awards
for Best Science and
Technology Blog in 2010.

39. Terence Hendricks
Terence Hendricks was
unemployed for 5-6 years.
When asked what the
biggest problem in his
community was he said
unemployment. And if you
know a problem and have
5-6 years experience in
industry you will be called
an expert and therefore be
a consultant. Now he is an
Entrepreneur and founder
of Uusi.

40. Uusi – Your New
Beginning
Uusi: An innovative jobs,
business and education
mobile social network
matching people with
empowerment
opportunities.

41. Uusi – Your New
Beginning
It has been dubbed “The
Poor-man’s LinkedIn” with
a strong focus on the
emerging markets. Already
have thousands of active
users and have a
partnership agreement
with, Africa’s largest
mobile social network,
Mxit. And signed up its
first international partner:
Nigeria’s largest job portal.

42. Scaling
Scalability is an important
component of the RLabs.
Therefore all the start-ups
should have a social
impact, be
sustainable/have a
business model and show
potential for growth
(scale).

43. Business
Development
Sustainability is key to the work that RLabs does especially when its
impacting the lives of the community. Sustainability is to ensure through a
hybrid model of business development and funding (Currently 70% of our
income is self generated).

44. Sustainability
Enable the community
members and champions
to empower others and to
create their own
innovations.

45. Co-Creation

46. Sustainability
Social Media
EG. Social Media Coverage, Events
Social Media Policy
Development and
Consulting Services and
Training to organisations,
businesses or institutions

47. Research
Institute
RLabs currently works with 18 different universities globally. When
researches use our resources they must joint publish and if they have funding
they pay for some of our services.

48. Research Institute
Research –
1. Conducting research
through and about Rlabs
2. Research papers- List
of peer reviewed journal
and conference papers,
and RLabs case studies

49. Social
Franchising
RLabs offer franchisees the following: Eg.
Be part of an award winning brand with international reputation,
Opportunity to be part of growing and global network, Training in its Multi-
Dimension approach to Innovation (Social Reconstruction, Mentorship,
Capacity Building, Research & Development, Champion Breeding, Innovation
Academy, Innovation Incubator, Business Development, Innovation
Leadership and Management)

50. RLabs South Africa - 2010: Grown
from 8 to …
South Africa

51. RLabs
South Africa
South Africa - 2011: …28

52. RLabs
South Africa
South Africa - 2012: …42

53. RLabs
Portugal
Porto, Portugal
Partner:
University of
Portugal

54. RLabs
Nigeria
Owerri, Nigeria
Partner:
Youth for Technology

55. RLabs
Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia
Partner:
NBIC

56. RLabs
Malaysia
Malaysia
Partner:
Youth Works Asia

57. RLabs
Tanzania
Iringa
Partner:
Tumani University and
Neema Crafts (for people
with disabilities)

58. RLabs
Finalnd
Helsinki, Finland
Partner:
Aalto University
Signing MOU

59. RLabs
Somaliland
New partnership –
signing MOU

60. RLabs
Sierra Leone and
Pakistan
New partnership –
Youth Economic
Empowerment and
Plan International

61. RLabs being all
inclusive and works
with all generations
All inclusive…our older
champions…… champions,
regardless of age

62. A Worldwide
Revolution
RLabs making a local
impact and being a global
movement. A social
revolution

64. @rlabs
info@rlabs.org
www.rlabs.org