Thirdspace Africa

“The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers.”

Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind

One of the most important ways we make sense of the world around us and share knowledge with others is through telling stories.

With the steady proliferation of social media channels we are confronted with massive noise, distraction and superficial oversharing – also limiting our ability to listen deeply to one another.

In this first phase of our innovation journey we redevelop our deep listening skills in order to tap into current and emerging narratives to find your organisations place in the future marketplace.

“There’s a shift underway in large organisations, one that puts design much closer to the centre of the enterprise. But the shift isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about applying the principles of design to the way people work.”

Jon Kolko, Harvard Business Review

Everything is in flux.

In order to navigate the complexities of current markets we need a whole new mind that is capable of integrative thinking, comfortable with ambiguity and not afraid of starting from a blank page.

In this second phase of our human-centered innovation journey we build up our navigational “scaffolding” through immersive learning experiences in creative leadership, design thinking and new venture creation.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

Maya Angelou

What if you could start all over again?

It’s never been easier to launch a new business as the barriers to enter markets are falling away and new capabilities are needed to engage more meaningfully with customers.

After having understood where things are going and what you need to win in your new market context, you will now have a sense of urgency to make things real and do something about this.

In our final phase of engagement, we assist with designing new ventures – either within your current organisation or outside of and by tapping into our network of subject matter experts to incubate new ventures.

Who We Are

In community building, the third space is the social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”). As Ray Oldenburg argues in “The Great Good Place”, third spaces are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place. It is with this feeling of needing a new sense of place in this world, that we have embarked on this journey of discovery with our clients across Africa.

As with any journey to the sea, the first step is to leave the comfort of the harbour and approach the world with a more curious, open, beginner’s mind. To us, third spaces are “anchors” of community life that facilitate and foster broader, more creative interactions. It is against this backdrop that we invite you into a dialogue on some of the most pressing issues of our time – as we meet the people that are ready to advance the key narratives of our age and link up with other progressive communities that are on similar journeys.