Even the most elegant system will fail without the right people
This piece is written by Paul Figueira, Head of Design at Open Cities Lab. Paul’s work spans architecture, product, and civic technology, and has led and contributed to the design of public-facing digital tools at OCL since 2017, including community reporting platforms, election tools, and municipal open data portals. Even the most elegant system will […]
Open Cities Lab Joins the Digital Public Goods Alliance to Advance African-Led DPI Implementation
Open Cities Lab (OCL) is pleased to announce that we are joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), a UN-endorsed multi-stakeholder initiative working to accelerate the discovery, development, use, and investment in digital public goods that help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Joining the DPGA reflects OCL’s commitment to strengthening open, interoperable, and locally owned […]
An Important Leadership Update
Leadership Update As we step into this next phase, we also want to share an important update with our community. After steering OCL through a particularly complex and unpredictable season, Megan Wadge (Meg) will be transitioning out of her role as CEO. We’re deeply grateful for Meg’s leadership and care, and we wish her every […]
Better Cities Start Here: The MijiBora DPI Side Event story from the Global DPI Summit
On 3 November 2025, on the side lines of the Global DPI Summit in Cape Town, Open Cities Lab (OCL) and eGov Foundation brought together a powerful mix of South African municipalities and ecosystem partners for a conversation that was both overdue and transformative. Supported with funding from the UK Government (UK in South Africa), […]
2024/25 Annual Report: Scaling Impact, Strengthening Cities
From electoral data platforms to national digital infrastructure, OCL reflects on a year of deep impact and future-facing innovation. Open Cities Lab (OCL) is proud to release its 2024/2025 Annual Report, a year of intentional growth defined by human-centred design and collaborative systems. In 2024, millions of South Africans went to the polls. Behind the […]
Coding with Care and Intentionality at OCL
This blog spotlights OCL Lead Developer Tshiamo Motshabi’s journey from joining as an intermediate developer to mentoring new talent through our graduate programme. In this Q&A, we unpack how practices like a four-day workweek, early cross-team involvement, care and shared ownership shape the way we develop tools for lasting public value. Central to our development […]
OCL Enters a New Chapter: Scaling for 2030 with Unified Leadership
Open Cities Lab enters a new chapter with Megan Wadge continuing as CEO and executive director, following a successful co-leadership model with outgoing founder Richard Gevers. Backed by a strong leadership team, Megan will steer the organisation to its 2030 goal of reaching 100 cities and 200 million people across Africa. The announcement reflects on […]
What is Product Thinking?
At Open Cities Lab, we believe the people most affected by a problem should shape the solutions. That’s why city residents (the ultimate beneficiaries) are at the centre of our product thinking. We strive to ensure that the needs of users, customers, and funders support, rather than overshadow, this focus. The result? Tools that are […]
The OCL Design Ethos
Central to our design work is a process of listening, learning, and adapting to build tools that are accessible, scalable, and deeply user-centred. Our work isn’t just about solving problems of today, it’s about creating solutions that continue to grow and serve communities long after we’ve moved on. By prioritising co-design, usability testing, and adaptability, […]
Meet OCL’s Favourite Open Source Superheroes
At OCL, we rely on open-source technology to build data-driven solutions that empower communities and improve city governance. In this blog, we’re spotlighting the powerful open-source tools that support our work – from managing open data to automating workflows. Explore how these tools drive innovation in civic tech and help us create more transparent, accountable […]