Work

Project delivery
We deliver projects with a hands-on approach, support strategic re-orientations, and offer technical assistance to both the public and private sector.
Our work includes a broad range of project types across multiple sectors and with local organizations, the public sector, and international organizations.

Research & design
From storytelling to data collection, we do research that is pragmatic, action-orientated, and strategic – turning complex information into readable and dynamic outputs.
Our work includes in-depth investigation, research briefs, guides and toolkits, story series, publication design, graphics, and much more.

Urban interventions
We turn ideas into practical application with placemaking initiatives and urban experiments, while supporting policy development, urban design, advocacy, and engagement with city governments.
Our work includes public space activations, open streets initiatives, urban policy interventions, and designing urban planning reorientations.

Exchange & convening
We curate exchanges, particularly across Global South cities, and use a facilitation and workshop approach that is practice-oriented, dynamic, and outcomes-focused.
Our work includes city-to-city exchanges, convening interactive events, and public engagement through innovative tools such as pop-up infrastructure.

Explore our projects

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Micro-Mobility Hubs

Micro-Mobility Hubs Local South is advancing a new model for managing the rapid growth of last-mile delivery in cities. In Cape Town, we led the first micro-mobility hub pilot in partnership with the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of Cape Town and the Langa Bicycle Hub, with endorsement from the City of Cape Town and funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Read more about it on our special projects page.

Bellville market activation

The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) asked us to help them co-design an activation at the informal trading area of Bellville’s Public Transport Interchange – part of their broader effort to shape a future market with City of Cape Town.

C40 Inclusive Climate Action Guide

We worked on a project covering cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to develop a guide for inclusive climate action implementation.

WWF Sustainable Transport Hub

Local South is convening the Alliance for Climate Action’s Sustainable Transport Hub.

EDPxChange

We curated and delivered EDP X-Change – bringing together a diverse group of over 200 stakeholders to discuss the Just Transition in South Africa.

Stories on Road Safety in African Cities

We wrote & designed a series of stories about road safety for the Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety (ACRoS)

Public Space Activation Langa

With Langa Bicycle Hub and the HSRC, Local South created a public space activation in Langa.

Saldanha and Santa Marta: stories of the just transition in the Global South

In collaboration with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Southern Africa, we produced a three-part series looking at issues around Just Transition in Saldanha, South Africa, and Santa Marta, Colombia.

City Business Climate Alliance

Local South collaborated with C40 Cities to work through the public-private collaboration guide with cities as part of the City Business Climate Alliance

Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety

We worked with UN-Habitat to design and coordinate the Cape Town 2024 Alliance of Cities for Road Safety (ACRoS) exchange.

Global South Public Space Platform

This platform built in collaboration with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Southern Africa, offers a space to look across Global South cities contexts for ideas, exploration, and inspiration.

KwaDukuza Urban Lab & Open Streets

Local South helped create an Urban Lab in KwaDukuza with an Open Streets festival, an ‘ideas box’ and much more.

C40-UrbanShift guide on public-private collaboration in the Global South

Local South completed a 30 city project with C40 Cities and UrbanShift on public-private collaboration in the Global South to create a guide for city officials on collaboration for climate action.

“Open Obs!”: OBSID Mobility Project

Local South worked with the Observatory Improvement District on interventions to improve mobility and make the neighbourhood more pedestrian friendly.

Food Markets in the Global South

Local South worked on a project exploring food markets in the Global South and what South Africa can learn from markets in Colombia.

Africa and Latin America Cities Exchange on Low Carbon Mobility with UN-Habitat

Local South coordinated an Africa-Latin America cities exchange on low carbon mobility in Bogota

Open Streets Africa

Through Open Streets Africa we want to help grow Open Streets in African cities.

Public Spaces Stories

This series of stories resulted from a process of working with individuals from across Cape Town on their experience and use of public space during COVID-19.

Innovative Procurement Research

For the Economic Development Partnership, we undertook a series of case studies and engagements on innovative procurement in the waste management sector in South Africa.

Inequalities Stories

In-depth series of stories on initiatives combatting inequalities in Bangladesh and South Africa for CONCORD.

Public budgets in the Global South

We formed part of the management team of a multi-year, European Commission-funded global civil society training and advocacy programme in 23 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The project, run by the International Budget Partnership, was aimed at advancing transparency and citizen participation in public budgets and formed part of the Open Budget Survey.

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