About Us
Praekelt Foundation is a technology incubator that develops open source mobile technology solutions to improve
the health and well being of people living in poverty.
Our History
Praekelt Foundation was registered in early 2007 (as a Section 21 company) by Gustav Praekelt and Robin Miller.
The birth of the Foundation was a natural next step for Founder Gustav Praekelt, after starting Praekelt Consulting in 2004. Gustav, a digital entrepreneur and obsessive technologist, saw an opportunity where the mobile techologies developed by Praekelt Consulting could be used effectively by non-profit organizations to really impact social change & drive access to information & services.
Robin Miller, Co-founder & Partner, has a passion for leveraging business solutions to achieve social change developed through her experiences working with local, national and international institutions across Africa. She is currently a consultant with Dalberg Global Development Advisors where she advises clients on a variety of issues including strategy, health, and governance. Robin believes that technology, because it can transcend geographic, economic & cultural boundaries, has the potential to empower the poor and accelerate development in ways we have never seen before.
Our Challenge
According to the United Nations, at the half way point toward the Millenium Development Goals, Sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to reach any of the Goals.
Despite some gains across the region, sufficient progress has not been made to reduce extreme poverty. 41.1% still live on less than $1 per day, 30% of a total 348 Million children under age 14 are not in school.
And in South Africa, despite a range of comprehensive services available and $US 927 Million committed in 2006-07, AIDS related mortality in women ages 20-39 tripled from 1997-2004 and over the same period deaths due to AIDS related conditions such as tuberculosis increased six-fold.
Our Opportunity
Across the globe, mobile phone technologies are proving that communication can drive social change. Africa is sited as the fastest growing mobile phone network in the world & South Africa in particular, has mobile phones in the hands of over 80% of the population or 39 Million people. In June of 1999, Kenya had 15,000 mobile phone subscribers. By the end of 2004 the country had 3.4 Million subscribers, and by 2007 this number had grown to over 5.6 Million, despite the fact that only 200,000 Kenyan households have electricity [1].
Further, studies are beginning to demonstrate the positive impact that mobile phones are having on economic development and social capital. Robert Jensen recently reviewed a group of Kerala fisherman and demonstrated that mobile phones have the ability to promote economic growth through increased profits and reduced prices [2].
Within the health sector, studies are beginning to indicate that mobile phone technologies are enabling greater efficiency and access to services [3]. Mobile phones are continuing to spread across the continent in unanticipated ways.
Our Intended Impact
Our mobile-technology solutions are designed to:
- Increase access to information about health, employment, and public safety
- Facilitate two way communication between citizens and service providers
- Enhance patient monitoring and care
- Strengthen healthcare delivery
Our Team
 | Gustav Praekelt - FounderGustav Praekelt is a digital entrepreneur, an obsessive technologist & the managing director of Praekelt Digital. After completing his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Philosophy, he co-founded one of the first digital interactive studios in Africa and was its technical director for 10 years. He believes that mobile phones will transform Africa, and as a result founded the Praekelt Foundation in 2006, a technology incubator that develops open source mobile technology solutions to improve the health and well being of people living in poverty. |
 | Marcha Neethling - OperationsMarcha is passionate about people and development. She holds a Masters Degree in HIV/AIDS Management and has worked for South African and International NGOs in the development sector in Africa, for nearly 10 years. Marcha joined Praekelt Foundation in August 2008 and is the project / operations manager, implementing local as well as multi-country mobile campaigns in partnership with NGOs. Marcha is new on the mobile bandwagon, but is fast becoming an advocate for the potential that mobile technology holds in development. |
 | Robin Miller - StrategyRobin Miller is co-Founder of the Praekelt Foundation a mobile technology incubator focused on social and economic development, in particular health and education. She is also a Consultant with Dalberg Global Development Advisors. Robin's work focuses on social enterprise development, mobile technology, institution building and global health. Robin has worked with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Finance Corporation, the Government of Liberia and the African Development Bank. She holds an Honors degree in Economics and Business Management from Boston College in Massachusetts. |
Click here to read more about our colleagues in Praekelt Consulting.
[1] Entrepreneurial Programming and Research on Mobiles
[2] Economist, To do with the Price of Fish, May 10, 2007.
[3] The Role of Mobile Phones Increasing Accessibility and Efficiency in Healthcare. Vodafone Policy Paper Series. Number 4, March 2006.