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Rapelang Rabana

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Rapelang Rabana (born November 5, 1983) is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and a keynote speaker. She is currently the Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide, an education technology NGO providing literacy and numeracy across multiple countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.[1] Prior to joining Imagine Worldwide, Rapelang was Founder and CEO of Rekindle Learning,[2] a learning technology company; and previously co-founded Yeigo Communications, South Africa's first free VoIP mobile services provider.[3][4]

She has been featured on the cover of ForbesAfrica magazine, selected as a FastCompany Maverick, named Entrepreneur for the World by the World Entrepreneurship Forum and selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.[5]

Early life and education

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Rapelang was born in Gaborone, Botswana.[6] She started her schooling in Gaborone at Thornhill Primary School [7] before moving to Johannesburg and attended Roedean School.[8] Rapelang graduated with honours from the University of Cape Town in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Business Science with a specialty in Computer Science,[9] and later obtained a Masters of Science degree from the same institution.[10] Rapelang returned to the University of Cape Town to give a commencement speech in 2019.[11]

Career

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After graduating from university, Rapelang, along with her fellow university classmates, created the pioneering mobile VoIP application called Yeigo in 2006, winning the inaugural Enablis Business Plan competition. In 2009, Telfree, a South African next-generation operator, bought a majority stake in Yeigo. Rabana was appointed as the leader of Telfree's Research and Development department until she exited the business in 2012.[12]

In 2013, Rapelang founded Rekindle Learning, which empowers people to respond to the changing world of work through digital learning experiences.[13] In her TEDxCapeTown talk Using mobiles to rekindle learning, she shares the inspiration behind Rekindle Learning. McKinsey recognized Rekindle Learning as a ‘striking innovation in mobile learning’ in the report, Lions go digital: the internet’s transformative power in Africa (2013). In November 2017, Rapelang was named Chief Digital Officer of BCX, one of South Africa's largest ICT companies, where she served until the end of 2018.[14] Rapelang’s continued her pursuits in driving innovation as a founding member and mentor of the Norrsken Impact Impact Accelerator[15][16]

In 2023, Rapelang was named Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide.[17] Imagine Worldwide is a recipient of the 2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize, which recognizes institutions and individuals who are working to implement evidence-based solutions aimed at promoting child development and learning in practice.[18] Under her leadership, Imagine has grown to serve 700,000 children by early 2025, with plans to expand the tablet-learning program nationwide in Malawi, and replicate the model in countries like Sierra Leone and Tanzania.[19]

Rapelang serves on the board of the listed subsidiary, Standard Chartered Bank Botswana,[20] and has previously served as a non-executive director of African Leadership Academy (Mauritius), Project Literacy, New York (USA), and Nisela Capital (South Africa).[21]

Achievements

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Rapelang is considered to be a leading African technology entrepreneur.[22] In 2019, the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, stated “The problem with us as South Africans is that we always put ourselves down. We always think that we are not as good as we are. And sometimes we even think that we don’t have people who are at the cutting edge of knowledge. But we have them here. And Rapelang Rabana is one of those.”[23] Early in her career, Rapelang was selected as an Endeavor ‘high-impact’ entrepreneur and as an Ambassador & Juror of the World Summit Awards[24][25] In 2011, Rapelang was selected to be part of the Global Shapers Community of young leaders below 30, of the World Economic Forum. She was invited to the Annual Meeting in Davos in 2012 where she spoke in the closing plenary, The Future Across Generations, alongside Muhammad Yunus and Klaus Schwab.

In 2012, she was listed on Oprah Magazine's O Power List. In 2013, she was listed on Forbes's 30 under 30 list for best entrepreneurs of Africa[26] and appeared on the cover of the ForbesAfrica August 2013 issue.[27] In 2014, Rapelang was named one of the Entrepreneurs of the World by the World Entrepreneurship Forum[28] and invited to join the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. In 2017, Rapelang was selected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.[29]

Thought Leadership

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Rapelang has shared her ideas on innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and education, from an African perspective, on many platforms. She has authored the articles: Could young people be the immune system of the world? (2012); 5 ways universal internet access could transform Africa (2016); How Africa's entrepreneurs are changing the direction of globalization (2019); How to give start-ups a head-start (2019). She has also contributed chapters in the books The Other End of the Telescope by Ian Russell, and the collection, The Book Every Business Owner Must Read: It's Time for Different.

Rapelang gave the keynote address at the Gartner Symposium 2015 in Cape Town,. In 2016, she interviewed His Excellency President Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the World Economic Forum on Africa. As a business leader, Rapelang also presented at Accenture Innovation Conference (2017),[30] the IMF Annual Meeting in Washington DC (2017), the BCXDisrupt Summit[31] (2017) where she also shared a panel with Malcolm Gladwell and musician will.i.am,[32] the Malta Innovation Summit (2019).[33]

References

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  1. ^ "Imagine Worldwide - The Future of Learning". Imagine Worldwide. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Rekindle Learning | micro-learning for sales, compliance, digital skills". Rekindle Learning. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. ^ Jackson, Tom (1 April 2015). "Rekindle Learning aims to be at centre of African education in 10 years". Disrupt-africa.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  4. ^ Palet, Laura Secorun (14 May 2014). "A Plan to Turn Africa's Mobile Phones Into Classrooms". ozy.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Rapelang Rabana | Technology Entrepreneur | Speaker | Thought Leader". Rapelang Rabana | Technology Entrepreneur | Speaker | Thought Leader. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Rapelang Rabana". whoswho.co.za. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Cape Media Magazines". mags.capemedia.co.za. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  8. ^ Soetan, Folake (25 August 2012). "Exclusive Interview With The Quintessential Rapelang Rabana, Founding Partner, Yeigo". venturesafrica.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Rapelang Rabana". weforum.org. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Rapelang Rabana". Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Rapelang Rabana, guest speaker at Law and Humanities graduation ceremony". www.news.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Rapelang Rabana co-founder and CEO Yeigo Communications South Africa". africanmillionaire.net/. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Business-minded Rapelang Rabana is conquering the world". mediaclubsouthafrica.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  14. ^ "BCX appoints Rapelang Rabana as chief digital officer". 17 November 2017.
  15. ^ Freimane, Niklas Adalberth,Funda Sezgi,Sara Kappelmark,Jenny Keisu,Philipp Schröder,Hans Otterling,Carl Manneh,Linnea Kornehed Falck,Willard Ahdritz,Eric Quidenus-Wahlforss,Sofie Wahlforss-Quidenus,Susana Campbell,Björn Öste,Jane Walerud,Janneke Niessen,Fredrik Jung-Abbou,Fabian Heilemann,Ash Pournouri,Rapelang Rabana,Agate. "We are tech founders and investors who pivoted to (profitable) impact investing. Now we're sharing the secret to our success–and encouraging others to copy it". Fortune. Retrieved 19 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Building the first sustainability unicorn". Sifted. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  17. ^ Worldwide, Imagine (5 July 2023). "News Flash: Imagine Worldwide Appoints Rapelang Rabana as Co-CEO". Imagine Worldwide. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  18. ^ Turney, Ella (4 July 2024). "Announcing the 2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prizes finalists". Jacobs Foundation. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  19. ^ Lundberg, Anna-Lisa (11 February 2025). "How EdTech is shaping education in challenging environments". BOLD. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  20. ^ "StanChart Appoints an Independent Non-Executive Director". Noble Magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  21. ^ Reporter, Creamer Media. "Top technology entrepreneur to share insights at Technology Centre launch". Engineering News. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  22. ^ "Minister Yunus Carrim: Information Technology Leaders Africa Summit | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  23. ^ Learning, Rekindle (11 May 2020). 4IR SA Digital Economy Summit. Retrieved 19 February 2025 – via Vimeo.
  24. ^ Beinner, Ron (29 July 2014). "How the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance Is Providing a Boost for African Start-Ups". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  25. ^ Editor, Kasibiz Mahala (4 November 2014). "Rapelang Rabana – Entrepreneur To Watch". Retrieved 19 February 2025. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "30 Under 30: Africa's Best Young Entrepreneurs". forbes.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  27. ^ "WHERE ARE THEY NOW: A Decade of Celebrating Africa's Bright Young Minds". www.forbesafrica.com. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  28. ^ "" Entrepreneurs for the world ": The World Entrepreneurship Forum awards its prizes for 2014" (PDF). lyon2014.world-entrepreneurship-forum.com. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  29. ^ "Rapelang Rabana is a pioneering global leader | IOL Business Report". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Tech entrepreneur Rapelang Rabana shares her thoughts on the Fourth Industrial Revolution". www.cnbcafrica.com. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  31. ^ BCX (5 December 2017). Rapelang Rabana at BCXDisrupt - Turning Innovation into Profit. Retrieved 19 February 2025 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ Mike (23 November 2017). "Reflections on the 2017 BCX Disrupt Summit". Mike Stopforth. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Rapelang Rabana". Changemakers - Malta Innovation Summit. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
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