We talk a lot about working from within. We talk a lot about solving problems from the inside out. We’ve even called this paper Inside|Out. But what exactly are we trying to be inside of? It’s simple, really. The aim is to be inside of the space where the problem lies. This means working from within […]

Inside where?
Inside | Justine Joseph and François Bonnici
She’s a scientist by training, but editor of Inside|Out by profession. She has a Bachelor of Science (Medical) Honours from the University of Cape Town and 10 years experience as a health and science journalist. She was a Mondi Magazine Award finalist and the international winner of the 2006 Novo Nordisk Media Prize for Excellence in Diabetes Writing. In 2011 she co-authored The Story of the Fly and How it Could Save the World with enviro-entrepreneur Jason Drew. She’s contributed to various publications including Shape, Men’s Health, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The Oprah Magazine, Discovery and Hip2B2.
Francois Bonnici is the editorial director of Inside | Out and the co-founder and director of Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. He originally trained as a medical doctor, graduating top of his class. He then read for a Masters in Public Health (London) and an MBA on a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford’s Said Business School, where he received the prize for the best overall MBA student. He has a Masters in Global Leadership conferred by the World Economic Forum and is the Head of Africa for the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

We are the system
If the question is, “What makes healthcare better?” Then the answer is meeting patients’ needs better. Simple. No one understands these needs better than the people who work with patients every day. So it makes sense that the most effective ideas will come from them. This is inclusive innovation. Here’s how it works in a doctor’s own words. Innovation is not […]
Inside | Lindi van Niekerk
Dr Lindi van Niekerk is a medical doctor and the Inclusive Healthcare Innovation (iHI) Lead at the UCT Bertha Centre for Social Innovation. “As a young doctor, I was driven to cure patients,” she says,” but I soon realised the answer often didn’t lie in my prescription.” That’s when she and colleagues set up an End of Life care programme for terminal patients and their families. The project is still running and growing. It also set Lindi on a search for more real solutions to real-world problems. In January 2014, she pioneered the first iHI Summit in Africa and also produced a 112-page Health Innovator’s Review profiling hands-on innovators improving local healthcare every day.

Winner 1.1: Operation Sakuma Sakhe
The health innovator KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier and BroadReach Healthcare. The innovation Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) is a united front against poverty and illness, bringing Government, municipalities, NGOs and communities together to fight poverty in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. Winner of the Collaboratively Reimagining Care Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit The […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

Winner 1.2: Electronic Continuity Of Care Record
The health innovator Western Cape Department of Health The innovation The eCCR (Electronic Continuity of Care Record) is a software application designed to integrate and digitise medical records for patients being discharged from public health facilities. Winner of the Collaboratively Reimagining Care Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit The action Groote Schuur Hospital […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

Winner 2.1: Parents Guidance Centre Reakgona
The health innovator Undine ‘Mmatumelo’ Rauter, Gelukspan, North West Province The innovation The Parents Guidance Centre (PGC) at the Gelukspan District Hospital is a “University of Life”, set up in one of the poorest rural areas of the country. The aim is to challenge misperceptions around disability, and empower youth and adults through counselling, therapy, and […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

AfriTox: Winner 2.2
The health innovator Clare Roberts, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town The innovation AfriTox is a digital and online database of toxins and toxic substances, providing easy access to potentially life-saving knowledge in emergencies. Winner of the Transforming the System From the Inside Out Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

Winner 3: Umthombo Youth Development Foundation
The health innovator: Dr Andrew Ross, Umthombo Youth Development Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal The Innovation The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation addresses skills shortages in rural healthcare, by providing scholarships for promising youngsters who can then return to their communities as qualified healthcare professionals. Winner of the Minding the Gap Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

Winner 4: Praekelt Foundation
The health innovator Gustav Praekelt, Founder and CEO, Praekelt Group, South Africa The innovation The Praekelt Foundation is a non-profit organisation that turns mobile phones into health tools. It focuses on using mobile services, portals, social networks and applications to fight poverty and improve health and wellbeing. Winner of the Inclusive Technology Award at the […]
Inside | Gus Silber
Gus Silber is a journalist, author, editor and scriptwriter based in Johannesburg. His books include The Phelophepa Health Care Train, Ten lessons From the Future and Radical Innovation, co-authored with Wolfgang Grulke. “Healthcare and innovation happen to be two of my abiding interests as a journalist,” he says. “Too often, we focus on the gloom and doom surrounding social services in our country. The iHI Review was an opportunity to shine a light on the good and the great.” Memeburn considers Gus one of the 50+ prominent South African journalists on Twitter. Find out why: @gussilber.

Winner 5: Kheth’Impilo
The health innovator Dr Ashraf Grimwood, Kheth’Impilo CEO The innovation Kheth’Impilo means “Choose Life” in the Nguni languages. This not-for- profit organisation is questing for an AIDS-free generation in our time. How? By using a unique model of patient advocacy with training and mentoring for community healthcare workers. Winner of the Pioneering Approaches Award at […]
Inside | Mark van Dijk
He’s an award-winning health and wellness writer, and deputy editor of Men’s Health magazine. “It’s been inspiring and hugely encouraging to hear the questions being asked by the healthcare industry’s most innovative minds,” says Mark of his experience working on the Health Innovator’s Review. “Questions like: What are the barriers to progress? How ready is your organisation for innovation? What are the most pressing needs?” As a journalist, Mark knows the most interesting answers come from asking the right questions. He lives in Cape Town with his wife, two daughters and their comic books.

#PeoplePower: Using tech to promote activism
All across Africa, social entrepreneurs are using mobile and web-based technology to hold government to account and demand the changes they need. It’s a powerful medium with a lot of potential to contribute towards social change. However, there is much to be done to ensure local ownership and maximise impact. Protests are stirring across South […]
Inside | Loren Treisman
She has a PhD from Cambridge and expertise in international development, governance, health and the use of technology to spur social change. She’s the Executive of Indigo Trust, a grant-making foundation that supports tech-driven projects in Africa, particularly those involving innovation, transparency and citizen empowerment. Loren regularly presents at conferences and writes for the international press, including The Guardian, CNN and the BBC. She was named one of the 20 Powerful Women to Watch in 2014 in The Huffington Post. She also likes to go camping just about every weekend.

Home-growing solutions
Loren’s thoughts on working from the inside out – when you come from outside the community (or even the country). Indigo Trust is a UK-based foundation. But we believe that the best solutions to Africa’s challenges will be devised by citizens of Africa itself. Local communities have a deeper understanding of context and cultural nuance. They are […]
Inside | Loren Treisman
She has a PhD from Cambridge and expertise in international development, governance, health and the use of technology to spur social change. She’s the Executive of Indigo Trust, a grant-making foundation that supports tech-driven projects in Africa, particularly those involving innovation, transparency and citizen empowerment. Loren regularly presents at conferences and writes for the international press, including The Guardian, CNN and the BBC. She was named one of the 20 Powerful Women to Watch in 2014 in The Huffington Post. She also likes to go camping just about every weekend.

Innopinion 1: Africa’s inherent innovative potential
South Africa may be better-known for the export of diamonds, safaris and the fast-food chain Nando’s, but it’s also the source of a pioneering model of health insurance that’s taking hold around the world. Vitality, part of the Discovery Health Group, has recruited millions of clients in the UK, the US and more recently in […]
Inside | Andrew Jack
Andrew Jack is the pharmaceutical correspondent at the Financial Times in London.

Innopinion 2: Make frontline innovation visible and change the system from the inside out
Across the planet, every day, nurses, doctors and their colleagues wrestle with the challenge of delivering healthcare to those who most need it. Many agree that to enable improvement, we need to learn what works and support innovation. There’s wide consensus that management and business tools could help. Organisations in low-resource settings could benefit from […]
Inside | Anjali Sastry
Anjali is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Director of the Groundwork Initiative and GlobalHealth Lab.

Innopinion 3: The role of service design in healthcare transformation
Service Design 101 Within the public service, and specifically in the healthcare field, simply being more productive and efficiant is no longer enough. In the delivery of healthcare services, there is an ever-increasing demand and need for an improved experience for all users who interact with the system. Enhancing user’s experience from both staff and […]
Inside | Richard Perez
Richard is the Director at the City of Cape Town for World Design Capital 2014.

Not a magic pill, but a process
Making a social innovation work is not simple. But when it does, it might be tempting to believe you can just duplicate the process again and again and it will keep working. But it’s not that simple. Let’s look at the reality of scaling, and some crucial questions you need to ask before trying. […]
Inside | Marcus Coetzee
Marcus Coetzee is a management consultant who’s actively promoted social enterprise for more than 14 years. He’s worked with many social enterprises and nonprofit organisations, with a particular interest in helping leaders think and act decisively. Now he heads up the African Social Entrepreneurs Network (ASEN) and is working with the Bertha Centre to develop social innovation strategies for the South African government. When not doing all of the above, Marcus can probably be found in a nature reserve or reading “way too many” science fiction and fantasy novels. www.marcuscoetzee.co.za

Six questions to ask before scaling
It would be great if successful social innovations really could be popped like magic pills or copied and pasted around a country or community. But they can’t. The implementation and scaling of a Social Innovation (SI) needs as much attention as its piloting and design. Here are some important questions about scaling to consider, particularly […]
Inside | Marcus Coetzee
Marcus Coetzee is a management consultant who’s actively promoted social enterprise for more than 14 years. He’s worked with many social enterprises and nonprofit organisations, with a particular interest in helping leaders think and act decisively. Now he heads up the African Social Entrepreneurs Network (ASEN) and is working with the Bertha Centre to develop social innovation strategies for the South African government. When not doing all of the above, Marcus can probably be found in a nature reserve or reading “way too many” science fiction and fantasy novels. www.marcuscoetzee.co.za

The world’s first Social Franchising Accelerator
The capabilities needed to design a social innovation are different from those required to scale it. That’s why the “magic pill” approach doesn’t work and many social innovators need specialised scaling support. That’s one of the reasons for the recent launch of the world’s first Social Franchising Accelerator by the Bertha Centre, in partnership with the […]

Democratising mobile technology through design
Opinion of Professor Gary Marsden, Department of Computer Science, University of Cape Town (UCT) Much has been written about the growth of cellular handset ownership in Africa. It started with wild enthusiasm about development opportunities and access to information, but then it changed to despair over what was seen as a new form of digital colonialism. […]
Inside | Gary Marsden
Gary submitted this piece to the Health Innovator’s Review 2014 shortly before leaving this world on
27 December 2013. He inspired us all and will be greatly missed. His work and legacy will live on.

On your marks, tech set, go!
Digital technology is flying into sci-fi-like places. But often, the innovations developed are inaccessible and unaffordable and therefore out of reach for the 84% of South Africans who rely on public healthcare. Not these ones. Adapted from the 2014 Health Innovator’s Review, compiled by Inclusive Healthcare Innovation, a joint initiative between the […]
Inside | Mark van Dijk
He’s an award-winning health and wellness writer, and deputy editor of Men’s Health magazine. “It’s been inspiring and hugely encouraging to hear the questions being asked by the healthcare industry’s most innovative minds,” says Mark of his experience working on the Health Innovator’s Review. “Questions like: What are the barriers to progress? How ready is your organisation for innovation? What are the most pressing needs?” As a journalist, Mark knows the most interesting answers come from asking the right questions. He lives in Cape Town with his wife, two daughters and their comic books.

New opportunities in e-Learning
Opinion of Professor Wim de Villiers, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT) For every 20 people in South Africa, there are 13 mobile phones. That’s according to a new report published by the GSMA, the body that represents the world’s mobile operators. That 65.7% penetration rate – the highest in Africa […]
Inside | Mark van Dijk
He’s an award-winning health and wellness writer, and deputy editor of Men’s Health magazine. “It’s been inspiring and hugely encouraging to hear the questions being asked by the healthcare industry’s most innovative minds,” says Mark of his experience working on the Health Innovator’s Review. “Questions like: What are the barriers to progress? How ready is your organisation for innovation? What are the most pressing needs?” As a journalist, Mark knows the most interesting answers come from asking the right questions. He lives in Cape Town with his wife, two daughters and their comic books.
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