Who we are and what we do

We are a non-profit organisation that creates tools and interventions that strengthen capacity within government, empowers citizens and improves trust and accountability in the civic space.

We have been operating since 2015, and have international reach through our projects in African cities and urban spaces, and a global presence in knowledge creation.

Work on a project together

How We Can Help

Civil Society Organisation

I work for a Civil Society Organisation and would like OCL to help my team leverage data in the most impactful way.

Partner Organisations

I am part of an existing organisation and would like to partner with OCL to help us map out our systems and guide us in building and managing our data system

City Employee

I work for the city and need a way to easily collect, analyse and/or share important data with my team and other stakeholders.

See how we apply our tools to our projects

Dashboards Databasing and portals

SCODA – South African Cities
Open Data Almanac

The South African Cities Open Data Almanac (SCODA) is a platform that improves access, analysis and insight into current and comparable information about South African cities through various tools. SCODA is a collaboration between OCL and South African Cities Network (SACN).

See Project

Dashboards Databasing and portals

Africa Data Hub

Africa Data Hub (ADH) collects reliable, accurate, up-to-date data on the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and presents this in a way that is easy to understand, analyse and use by journalists.

See Project

Mapping Databasing & portals

MyCandidate

MyCandidate is a web-based application that helped South African voters see which candidates were contesting in their ward for the 2021 Local Government Elections. This information was scraped from PDFs and had never been made so accessible before.

See Project

Our tools are used by

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Testimonials

What our partners say about us.

Over the last six years we have built new partnerships and friendships within OCL, and we have seen them go from strength to strength. Unlike others who have grown rapidly, OCL hasn’t lost sight of why we partner with them, ensuring that they have integrated our work with them as they have grown, while consistently delivering excellent work. OCL represents the best South Africa has to offer and the massive potential we have as a nation; they are professional, innovative and believe in building our democracy. Our shared vision and approach and love of beer means we are delighted to have OCL as one of our core partners and look forward to even greater things.

WILLIAM BIRD

William Bird, Director of Media Monitoring Africa

Open Cities Lab has been a very beneficial partner in the journey to developing a smart city in eThekwini through the Durban EDGE Portal. We have always found Open Cities Lab very skilled, innovative, eager to capacitate and hard working. We would recommend any city, government institution, and partner to work closely with OCL to achieve data and technology driven decision making towards better service delivery.

Tshegang Chipeya

Senior Research Advisor, Economic Development Unit, eThekwini Municipality

Open Cities Lab was born out of a mission to democratise information for civilian participation in our democracy. It's with passionate hearts and minds that this unique organization operates, to which both are of a high calibre. Their approach is systematic and structural with strong leads of measured intuition in an ever malleable social and technological landscape, making them robust yet flexible, caring yet strong. We've loved being a part of their journey, and look forward to many more years of contributing to positive, sustainable change in South Africa.

CALLUM OBERHOLZER

Founder and Director at Black Box

I’ve been consulting to OCL since March 2020 on a HR capacity, with an emphasis on personal development and organisational culture. I can honestly say I feel I’ve learnt more from the team and their leadership than they have from me. Their empathy towards each team member and external partners and stakeholders is something I’ve not witnessed before, particularly in such an agile team environment. Their genuine care extends into all the work they do with so much passion. I cannot wait to see what else the team will achieve in the years to come as they continue to serve the OCL mission.

Ashleigh Rich

Coach and facilitator

Latest blog articles

What is Product Thinking?

Beneficiaries first. Always. Our product thinking approach designs for residents and aligns everyone else around their needs.

May 15, 2025

Transforming Municipal Processes with the Council Resolution App

The Council Resolution App helps track and implement council decisions, improving efficiency, accountability, and collaboration.

April 8, 2025

The OCL Design Ethos

Great design is about creating solutions that truly serve users, evolve over time, and remain impactful beyond our direct involvement.

March 4, 2025

Who we are and what we do