A South Africa where no rural community is left behind in the digital age.
Where the vulnerable are protected, rural students and youth carry world-class digital skills, and villages and campuses become engines of their own prosperity.
THE THATCH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE · TDC
Weaving care, skills and opportunity into rural South Africa.
We protect vulnerable children, build rural digital skills, and open pathways into the digital economy — working through the traditional councils, municipalities and universities that anchor rural life.
2014Established
NPO 144-566Registered NPO
LimpopoRooted in community
Care · Skills · Opportunity · Future
OUR PROMISE
Rooted in community. Ready for the digital age.
A thatched roof is woven from many strands into one shelter. TDC brings together care, digital skills and economic opportunity to help rural communities thrive.
WHO WE ARE
One mandate. Many strands. One stronger future.
Founded in 2014 and registered with the Department of Social Development (NPO 144-566), The Thatch Development Centre began by caring for orphaned and vulnerable children in rural Limpopo. That calling still guides us.
Today we have grown into an integrated community-development and digital-skills organisation powered by the edu10x education engine.
We work where others don’t reach — through traditional councils, municipalities and rural universities — so that the last village and the smallest campus are not the last to benefit from the digital age.
Weave together care, skills and opportunity.
We partner with traditional leaders, municipalities, universities and the private sector to protect vulnerable children and families, deliver digital and 4IR skills, and build sustainable pathways into the digital and green economy.
OUR TEAM & GOVERNANCE
Leadership grounded in community, innovation and delivery.
TDC is guided by a management committee bringing together governance, technology, enterprise and community-development experience.
CHAIRPERSON
Tshamano Nengovhela
An experienced executive leader, entrepreneur and strategic partnership builder with nearly three decades of multidisciplinary leadership across public-private development, science and innovation, healthcare, enterprise development, infrastructure and community economic development.
He brings strong governance and strategic oversight, stakeholder mobilisation and public-private partnership experience, with a particular focus on skills development, inclusive innovation, technology, renewable energy and local economic development.
SECRETARY
Kennedy Ramatsea
Technology and community-development professional focused on turning technology and information into practical opportunities for communities. He is associated with SCS Space in technology adoption and is the founder of We Earth, a social-technology initiative focused on digitising communities and connecting development needs with partnerships and investment.
His work spans technology adoption, community digitalisation, software and platform development, entrepreneurship and partnership-building, with a strong interest in using innovation to support local economic development and sustainable community outcomes.
TREASURER
Kevin Pillay
Enterprise and project-delivery professional with practical experience across construction, flooring and building-related services in commercial, residential and institutional environments.
His experience includes work involving schools, clinics, university spaces, paving and civil works, carpentry and joinery, waterproofing and related projects, bringing a practical, quality-focused approach to project supervision and delivery.
ADDITIONAL MEMBER
Lebona Moshanyana
Technology and project leader, community-economic development strategist and social innovator with more than three decades of experience across electrical engineering, enterprise ICT, national government programmes and entrepreneurship.
A PMP-certified professional with a BSc in Computer Science, he brings systems thinking to digital transformation, skills development, agricultural value chains and community economic opportunity.
WHAT WE DO
Four pillars. One mandate.
Our programmes connect protection, learning, economic inclusion and strong partnerships.
01
Care & Protection
Care and support for orphaned, vulnerable, abandoned, abused and HIV-positive children and families.
- Access to IDs, birth certificates and grants
- HIV/AIDS awareness, education and research
- Mental-health referral and support
- Safe, sustainable OVC environments
02
Digital Skills & Education
Practical, accredited and stackable learning for rural communities, students and traditional leaders.
- Digital skills for rural universities
- Applied AI & software development
- Traditional Leadership Digital Transformation Academy
- Community, household and 4IR literacy
03
Community & Economic Development
Turning skills and community data into practical pathways toward livelihoods and opportunity.
- Youth enterprise and work-readiness
- Community platform and market access
- Data-driven community planning
- Green- and energy-economy pathways
04
Partnerships & Enablement
Bringing municipalities, traditional councils, universities and funders around shared programmes.
- Programme convening and delivery
- Proposal and programme development
- Governance and trust assurance
- King IV and EETF-aligned practice
COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
We start where rural life is actually governed.
TDC organises its work through the structures that shape rural life, starting with local government and traditional leadership, then reaching into university communities.
Local Government & Municipalities
Our home base is Vhufuli, in Thulamela Local Municipality, Vhembe District, Limpopo. We partner with district and local municipalities as delivery partners and beneficiaries.
Traditional Leadership & Councils
We work hand-in-hand with traditional authorities as co-custodians of the community mandate, including the Mapela Tribal Authority and Venda traditional councils.
43villages across the Mapela programme
University & Youth Communities
We reach rural and historically disadvantaged universities and prioritise OVCs, HIV/AIDS-affected households, rural youth and women.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAMME
Digital Skills for Rural Universities
TDC is positioning itself as the registered non-profit delivery vehicle for a Digital Skills for Rural Universities programme, developed with the South African Union of Students and aimed at National Skills Fund support.
The programme equips students at rural and historically disadvantaged universities with in-demand digital and AI skills, delivered through TDC’s community structures and certified through university partners.
Explore Partnership01Applied AI & software development
024IR and modern digital skills
03University-linked certification
04Economic pathways for rural youth
OUR PARTNERS
Building with others, not just for communities.
edu10x
University of Fort Hare
Powegex ESDA
NEHAWU Workers’ Knowledge Centre
SAUS
National Skills Fund
Municipalities & Traditional Councils
Department of Social Development
OUR VALUES
How we work.
UbuntuCommunity first.
Dignity & CareProtect and uplift.
Skills That LastAccredited and transferable.
Rooted & RuralMeet people where they are.
Co-ownershipBuild with local structures.
Trust & GovernanceAccountability matters.
Inclusion by DesignOffline-first, low-data tools.
GET INVOLVED
Help weave the next strand.
Partner with us, volunteer your skills, or support our work. Together we can connect care, learning and opportunity across rural South Africa.
CONTACT
The Thatch Development Centre (TDC)
Brooklyn Bridge Office Park
Brooklyn Bridge Road, Pretoria
South Africa
Registered NPO144-566 NPO
RegistrarDepartment of Social Development
Phone+27 76 393 2873
Websitethethatch.africa
For partnerships, programmes and general enquiries, please contact TDC using the details above.