Coined by CNN as one of Africa’s Marissa Mayers, Rapelang Rabana is a founder of Yeigo Communications, an innovative Cape Town based company that conceived, designed and developed some of the world’s earliest mobile VoIP applications. In 2008, Yeigo partnered with the Telfree Group of Companies, a pioneering next-generation telecoms operator, enabling it to provide the full range of telecommunications services. Yeigo continues to create ground-breaking applications and services that take advantage of the internet, mobile and cloud computing technologies. Rapelang epitomizes the new generation of global business leaders who nurture paradigmatic change through their influence on the way technology interfaces with all aspects of daily life.
Rapelang was selected as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and was invited to join the Annual Meeting in Davos 2012; is an Ambassador and Juror for the United Nations World Youth Summit Awards; has been named an Old Mutual Top 30 ‘Do Great Things’ Entrepreneur and is an Endeavor ‘high-impact’ Entrepreneur. Rapelang was recognized by the Minister of Communications of South Africa as an innovative entrepreneur, as well as by Oprah Magazine that placed her on the O Power List for 2012 amongst local and international icons. Rapelang graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Science Degree (Computer Science Honours) from the University of Cape Town. Immediately after that, she co-founded Yeigo Communications – a Technology Top 100 company. She is also a working Board Member for Ubuntu Africa, an NGO providing lifesaving health and support services exclusively for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.