Rapelang Rabana: Digital Leadership

With Rapelang Rabana, you get to see digital technology through the eyes of a practical, hands-on innovator. From her first startup, straight out of university, Yeigo, to Chief Digital Officer of South Africa’s largest IT company, Rapelang is a true digital native. Her talks and masterclasses reverse-engineer her 16+ years of experience in building tech […]

Travel & Fee Range:**

  • Travels from: Johannesburg
  • **Fee range: 50,000 - 75,000

Keynote Topics

HOW IMMERSIVE DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES COULD CHANGE THE FACE OF EDUCATION

Subtitle: Leveraging AI and VR technology to skill at scale

Synopsis: We desperately need a shared language that speaks precisely to the skills and capabilities  we need to develop in young people to thrive in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Charles Darwin hints at what we need to thrive in the future – it is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change’.

Darwin speaks to ‘responsiveness’ being the decisive survival trait. Should we not then define intelligence, in terms other than IQ or EQ, and rather our ability to respond to change, to react to the tasks of work and life, to demonstrate the agility we seek in businesses today?

Subtitle: Realizing your potential through greater awareness

Synopsis: Self-awareness is the meta-skills of the 21st century. The research shows that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident, more creative, we make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively.

Subtitle: Creating sustainable value for all

Synopsis: The age of sustainably achieving profits by making money out of others is fast disappearing into the distance.

It is no longer sufficient to score singular wins. The new economy demands that innovation and new solutions create shared value, where you make money, by making money with your customers – for your customers.

Creating value for all, entails applying a form of innovation that is inspired by experiential wisdom – experience of the context and problem; raising awareness beyond one’s immediate end-goal to see the whole chain of needs for all players; and step-wise iterative progress that integrates data and feedback gained from each step forward.

Rapelang Rabana brings her experience as a technology entrepreneur as well as global examples to drive key lessons for creating sustainable value for all.

  • HOW I FAILED AS A CORPORATE
  • MAKING BUSINESS SENSE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • THE AFRICAN ADVANTAGE: HOW AFRICAN TECHNOLOGY WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE WORLD

With Rapelang Rabana, you get to see digital technology through the eyes of a practical, hands-on innovator. From her first startup, straight out of university, Yeigo, to Chief Digital Officer of South Africa’s largest IT company, Rapelang is a true digital native. Her talks and masterclasses reverse-engineer her 16+ years of experience in building tech […]

With Rapelang Rabana, you get to see digital technology through the eyes of a practical, hands-on innovator. From her first startup, straight out of university, Yeigo, to Chief Digital Officer of South Africa’s largest IT company, Rapelang is a true digital native. Her talks and masterclasses reverse-engineer her 16+ years of experience in building tech companies, unpacking all things digital in a meaningful way to extract tangible business and social value.

Featured on the cover of Forbes Africa magazine before the age of 30, named Entrepreneur for the World by the World Entrepreneurship Forum, and selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum – Rapelang is an internationally lauded technology entrepreneur.

Rapelang Rabana provides hands-on digital innovation expertise, as well as a founding partner at FFWD (fast forward) Innovation, which helps companies innovate faster through data-driven experimentation. In 2021 she co-founded $6.5m VC fund Grindstone Ventures, as well as Norrsken Impact Accelerator, part of one of the world’s largest impact funds, all to support and fund high-impact entrepreneurs.

In 2023, Rapelang Rabana became the Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide, an NGO operating across 7 African countries, providing tablet-based learning programs to develop literacy and numeracy skills in millions of young children. In partnership with the government of Malawi, Imagine is implementing the tablet program in all primary schools — projected to serve 3.5m students annually at full scale.

Rapelang is also the Founder of Rekindle Learning, a dynamic edtech company that enables organizations to easily codify and share institutional know-how amongst their teams to drive business performance. Rekindle Learning, which was profiled in the McKinsey Lions go Digital report as a striking innovation in learning.

Rapelang Rabana has spoken at over 300 occasions on local and international platforms and has shared a stage with the likes of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell. She obtained B. Business Science (Computer Science Honours) and an M.Sc from the University of Cape Town, giving her a technical and business background. She has since believed that there had to be better, simpler more effective ways to do things – and there is using digital technologies.

Recipient honours and awards: Young Global Leader; Cover Forbes Africa before 30; Forbes 30 under 30 – Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs; Fast Company Maverick; Choiseul 100 Africa; World Summit Awards Juror; Harambe Entrepreneur, Endeavor High-Impact Entrepreneur; Oprah Mag O Power List

Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Facebook

Rapelang Rabana | Digital Leadership

Speakers Contact

Speaker Enquiry Form

Talent Resources to download

In order to view the below you must be logged in.

  • Powerpoint Slide – For meeting and event planners
  • Gallery Images
  • High Resolution Images
  • PDF Files
  • Books and Magazine Links

View further speakers

  • Promoted

Dr. Dana K Prophet is a globally recognized empowerment speaker and transformation coach whose work bridges the realms of psychology, personal growth, and spiritual awakening. As a research psychologist and former collaborator with luminaries like Tony Robbins and Dr. John Demartini, Dr. Prophet has dedicated her career to helping individuals unlock their highest potential through […]

  • Empowerment Speaker

Nobukhosi Dlamini is an influential figure in the technology sector, specializing in innovation, data protection, enterprise information management, cybersecurity, corporate IT, and agile transformation. Her expertise spans over two decades, during which she has become a recognized leader in driving digital transformation and cybersecurity across global organizations. As a sought-after speaker and advocate for inclusive […]

  • Cybersecurity Speaker
  • Featured

Dr. Daniel Cunnama is a distinguished South African astrophysicist renowned for his expertise in computational cosmology and his dedication to science communication. He serves as the Science Engagement Astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), where he bridges the gap between complex astronomical research and public understanding. Based at the South African Astronomical Observatory, […]

  • Astrophysicist Speaker

Zola Nene culinary career spans over 10 years and started during her second-year study gap in England. After studying BCom. Law for two years, Chef Zola Nene realised that it was not the career path she wanted to pursue and so applied for a UK holiday working visa and ventured off to England to discover […]

  • Celebrity Chef

Born in Diepkloof Soweto, but raised in Sandton, Mum-Z – Conference Comedian has a style of comedy that can be universally appreciated drawing most of his content from his personal experiences for your Corporate event His career started with presenting on the SABC 2 teenage continuity programme ‘Kidz Can’ in 1997, he then delved in script […]

  • Comedian

Carol Tshabalala is one of Africa’s most iconic sports broadcasters and an inspiring pioneer in her field. Dubbed South Africa’s “First Lady of Sport,” Carol has broken barriers in a male-dominated industry, building a career that has spanned over 20 years. Her journey has seen her rise to global recognition, with work that includes covering […]

  • Sports Broadcaster

DJ Luis is arguably the foremost function DJ in South Africa. He has built himself a reputation as a highly regarded professional in the way he deals with his clients and most importantly, his audiences on the dance floor. Over the past 10 years, he has been booked 7 days a week, with venues such as Avianto, […]

  • Mobile DJ

Joey Rasdien is absurd yet thought-provoking stand-up comedy show tackles the touchy subject of evolution and how natural selection has blessed many of the figures that loom over South African life. Topics under scrutiny range from the devil and Charles Darwin to Julius Malema and Steven Hawking in a show that will make you laugh […]

  • Comedian
Disclaimer
The profiles and images embedded on these pages are from various conference entertainers and other talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.

Fee ranges where listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only.

All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

Newsletter Signup

* indicates required

Intuit Mailchimp

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Speakers Inc Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

We promise to not spam you!

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025.  Designed using Voxel