Here is
What has Been Written
About Us
2026
Tech News Africa – MTN and RLabs Collaborate to Expand Digital Economy Opportunities
Innovation Bridge – RLabs Profile
CBN – RLabs BPO Aims to Turn Township Jobs Into Social Impact
2025
TechAfrica News – MTN and RLabs Launch 12-Month Youth Digital Skills Initiative in Western Cape
CBN – RLabs BPO Aims to Turn Township Jobs Into Social Impact
Plainsman – RLabs Launches HOPE FC and Celebrates a Debut Win
Ventureburn – Built in Africa: RLabs is Using Tech to Restore Our Faith in Humanity
Weekend Special – Italian Film Focus 25 Brings Italian Cinema to Mitchells Plain
IOL – Africa’s Social Enterprises Generate $96bn and 12 million jobs, WEF-backed Report Reveals
Skills Union – When Hope Meets Education: Q&A with RLabs Founder Marlon Parker
2024
WEF – This is How We Empower the Next Generation of Social Innovators
CBN – RLabs Creates a R100-million Venture Unit to Foster Township Businesses
GroundUp – In Photos: First Thursday in Mitchells Plain
News24 – Western Cape’s SMME Booster Fund Supports 205 Businesses, Sustains 792 Jobs in One Year
Unicef – From Waste to Livelihoods, ‘ReChas’ Take Recycling to the Next Level
The Citizen – Oppenheimer’s SAFT Awards R3 Million to Top Entrepreneurs in SA
Disrupt Africa – Hub Network AfriLabs Welcomes 18 New Hubs
IOL – Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMME) Booster Fund Helps Sustain Jobs
WeeTracker – RLabs Takes Center Stage as Host of AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2024
2023
WEF – Circular Solutions, Community Revolutions: The Social Impact of Circularity
TechnoServe – Inclusive Loops: The Crucial Role of Social Enterprises in the Circular Economy
Bizcommunity – RLabs South Africa announces Christine Taphel as new CEO
Plainsman – Rlabs House Hosts Last First Thursdays for 2023
Plainsman – Christine Ready to Take the Lead at RLabs
Plainsman – Westridge Living Lab Visit
Plainsman – One-Year Milestone for RLabs House
Plainsman – Women’s Event Aimed at Spreading Hope
Plainsman – Exhibition Honours Basil ‘Manenberg’ Coetzee
Bizcommunity – Design Thinking as a Superpower: Meet Calvin Mayanta
IOL – Grandmaster DJ Ready D Turns Mess Into a Message of Hope
Plainsman – ‘Plain Markets its Vibe
CIO Africa – Google Launches Online Cybersecurity Certificate For Africans, Announces Scholarships
2022
WEF – How Digital Tech Can Turbo-Charge the Social Economy
IOL – Airbnb Entices Entrepreneurs in Mitchells Plain to Share Experiences and Accommodation
Ventureburn – Amazon to Equip SA Youth with Cloud Computing Skills
Bizcommunity – RLabs Named Social Innovator of the Year 2022
Plainsman – Experiencing ‘StraArt’
Plainsman – ’Plain’s First Thursday
Pioneers Post – Schwab Foundation Announces its 2022 Social Innovators of the Year
Modern Diplomacy – The Social Innovators of the Year 2022
WEF – This is How 15 Leaders are Changing the World Through Trust
Old Mutual – World Economic Forum: More Than Just Talk
Vukuzenzele – Youth Rewarded for Smart COVID-19 Behaviour
2021
WEF – How Giving Hope Can Go Viral: A Lesson in Systems Change from RLabs
Mail & Guardian – New Book Provides a Blueprint for Deep Social Change
IOL – Cape Town Job App Records More Than 100K Users
Pioneers Post – A lesson in systems change from South Africa’s RLabs
2020
Unicef – Allan’s Story: Dignity Through Online Rewards
Bizcommunity – RLabs Zlto Supports Youth and Their Families in Lockdown
The Citizen – Finding a Remedy to the Unemployment Crisis
Gadget – Social Distance Transforms Doctors
MoneyWeb – App Allows Community Volunteers to Earn Rewards
Stanford Social Innovation Review – Cultivating Serendipity
2019
WeeTracker – Mahanyele-Dabengwa Picked For Newly Created Naspers Executive Position
Mail & Guardian – New Financial Tool Can Help Create Work
IOL – Nedbank’s R3.2m Partnership with Programme Will Support Cape Town Entrepreneurs
2018
Disrupt Africa – Startups Named Winners of Google Impact Challenge Africa
Disrupt Africa – African Hubs Endorse Innovation Policy Manifesto
Tech Cabal – How Tech Hubs are Developing Across Africa
CNN World – The African tech hubs fostering innovation
Business Tech – These 3 Free Online UCT Courses Have Been Named as Some of the Best in the World
2017
Disrupt Africa – RLabs Launches Okazi to Help Businesses Monetise Employee Downtime
Disrupt Africa – Cape Town’s RLabs Opens Applications for InnovIA Programme
Disrupt Africa – SA Innovations Selected for Mozilla’s $250k Internet Access Challenge
2016
LSE – How Can Social Enterprises Achieve Large Scale Impact?
LSE – 5 Steps to Scaling Social Impact
BBC – The Young Entrepreneurs Trying to Help South Africa’s Townships
Disrupt Africa – RLabs, Bertha Centre Launch Free Online Course on Social Innovation
Disrupt Africa – RLabsU Launching 12 Campuses Across Cape Town
Disrupt Africa – Help Township Entrepreneurs Access Networks – RLabs
Disrupt Africa – Cape Town’s RLabs Opens Applications for InnovIA Accelerator
Disrupt Africa – The Year in African Incubators – 2016
Disrupt Africa – Thinking Outside the Box with Bitcoin in Africa
Disrupt Africa – Jordaan, Hersman Among Speakers at Net Prophet Event in Cape Town
Disrupt Africa – BBC World Service Pilots Kenya-Made Drop Service
Disrupt Africa – KiandaHub Seeks Funding to Become Centre of Angola’s Startup Community
Memeburn – Net Prophet 2016 Speakers Include Local Tech Heroes
2015
Disrupt Africa – RLabs CatchUp Selected to Pilot Solution by BBC Development Studio
Disrupt Africa – RLabs Youth Cafes Hit 20,000 Visits
Namibian Economist – Finnish Embassy Supports RLabs Namibia
World Bank Blogs – What’s the Color of Entrepreneurship?
Disrupt Africa – Cape Town’s RLabs Showcases 10 New Social Innovations
Disrupt Africa – BBC Connected Studio to Hold Development Studio in Cape Town
Disrupt Africa – RLabs-Designed BBC Minute CatchUP Goes Live
Disrupt Africa – Cape Town’s RLabs Launches Bitcoin Crowdfunding Platform
Disrupt Africa – The Year in African Startup Events
Disrupt Africa – Applications Open for Latest Seedstars World Event in Botswana
Disrupt Africa – AfriLabs to Co-Host “Hub in a Box” Sustainability Workshop
Disrupt Africa – SA’s Bankymoon Launches Bitcoin Crowdfunding Platform for African Schools
Disrupt Africa – African Tech Hubs Must Act Like Startups
Disrupt Africa – AfriLabs Receives $23k Grant from Indigo Trust
IOL – Hope is Their Vehicle to Advance Change
Memeburn – Cape Town Dev Team’s Widget Wins the SA Leg of BBC Development Studio Challenge
NiemanLab – From BBC’s African Hackathon Come New Projects Designed for the Continent’s Smartphones
2014
Disrupt Africa – RLabs Namibia Holds 2014 Graduation
Disrupt Africa – Young Tech Innovators to Showcase Products at Innovate SA Event
Disrupt Africa – SA Students Launch GoVarsity App
Ventureburn – Built in Africa: RLabs is Using Tech to Restore Our Faith in Humanity
Forbes Africa – Profit vs Gangsters
WEF – 19 Young Global Leaders from Africa Recognized by the World Economic Forum
2013
IOL – A Model for Social Change
Namibia Economist – Marlon Parker Launches RLabs Namibia
Namibia Economist – Boost For RLabs
Mail & Guardian – MXit Meets the Movies
Ventureburn – RLabs raises R10-million for Youth Innovation Programme
Ventureburn – Wabona Partners up with Cinemo
Memeburn – WordPress Geeks, Unite! WordCamp Set to Hit Cape Town
Ventureburn – Building a Tech-Focused Continent: 9 of Africa’s Innovation Hubs
2012
Mail & Guardian – Deep Read: Tweeting Out of Poverty
Ventureburn – Cash Up for Grabs with Africa’s Largest Hack Boot Camp for Trade Transparency
Memeburn – What Will it Take to Unearth Africa’s Next Great Innovator?
2011
Future Challenges – A Social Revolution
Memeburn – New Look, More Growth for Mobile Social Network MXit
Ventureburn – 38 Emerging South African Tech Entrepreneurs to Watch
The Bees – Global Social Media Awards Were Postponed, Now Back on Again
Washington Post – Harness Twitter, Change the World
2010
Mail & Guardian – 200 Young South Africans: Technology
IOL – MXit Launches Live Drug Counselling Portal
Memeburn – Startup Nominated for Prestigious International Social Media Award
2009
New Scientist – Mobile Messaging Network Counsels Cape Town Drug Users