Tag: Innovation
-
Accelerating eCommerce: designing an accelerator programme for Takealot
Introduction Pista Ventures, contracted by IDF VAS, initiated the Takealot Marketplace Business Accelerator Programme. The programme was designed to empower Takealot marketplace sellers with the tools, knowledge, and insights necessary to excel in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By enhancing seller performance, the programme aimed to solidify Takealot’s position as a leading online marketplace in South…
-
Civic Engagement: solving for misinformation during a pandemic
Introduction Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw an unprecedented surge in misinformation and disinformation, complicating public health efforts. Pista Ventures, in response to this crisis, developed COTU, a WhatsApp-based communication tool designed to provide accurate, validated information about COVID-19 to residents of the eThekwini Municipality. By leveraging geo-targeted messaging, COTU aimed to inform the…
-
UX Research: Living Wage for Barista Wage Calculator
Introduction Pista Ventures undertook a pioneering UX Research project to garner more insights for the Barista Wage Calculator, aiming to address the nuanced and often contentious issue of fair compensation within the coffee industry. This tool, developed by Open Cities Lab and Black Box, was envisioned to help reconcile the diverse needs and perspectives of…
-
Circular Systems: prototyping for the visually impaired using plastic waste
Introduction Pista Ventures, seizing an opportunity provided by the South African Cities Network (SACN) aligning to the Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF), conceptualised “Open Oceans,” an innovative urban ocean lab project in Durban, South Africa. This initiative aimed to tackle the pressing issue of ocean plastics pollution by focusing on Durban’s river systems, which act…
-
Polycrisis: civic technology in a time of crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest and recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal has illustrated the need for data-driven insights to help various stakeholders find the necessary information to assist or be assisted in times of need. Across KwaZulu-Natal, important information is inaccessible to the public, or is difficult to locate, retrieve and analyse during a disaster. In…
-
Enterprise Development: innovation via a Startup Truck
Introduction Pista Ventures, a leading innovation and enterprise development agency, was tasked with an inspiring challenge by South African Breweries (SAB) Enterprise Development along with other partners (NYDA, THUD): to design and implement a grassroots innovation programme aimed at identifying and nurturing the most talented youth entrepreneurs across South Africa. The project’s centrepiece was an…