Our sustainable mission
RLabs (Reconstructed Living Labs) is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise that was founded in 2009 in Bridgetown, Cape Town, South Africa. What began as a local initiative to restore hope in marginalized communities has grown into a global movement. Today, RLabs operates in 25 countries across five continents, having positively impacted the lives of over 65 million people. At the heart of RLabs is a mission to cultivate environments where individuals are empowered and transformed through HOPE, Innovation, Technology, Training, and Economic Opportunities. The organization develops scalable solutions that provide community members—especially youth and women—with digital skills, entrepreneurship training, and pathways to sustainable livelihoods. More than 2.5 million people have already benefited directly from RLabs' skills development and economic empowerment programmes. As RLabs looks to the future, it has set an ambitious goal: to impact 2 billion lives by 2030, with a renewed focus on addressing urgent needs across Africa.