With a track record spanning three decades, Nova has worked collaboratively towards improving the well-being of low-income communities. Our focus is on understanding, testing and scaling sustainable solutions that address multiple fundamental needs – such as subsistence, participation and protection – at the same time. For us, development isn’t just about economic growth; it’s about growing into something qualitatively better. That’s why we rigorously assess our impact – ensuring that our interventions make life qualitatively better – in ways that are quantifiable.
The Nova vision is household well-being across Southern Africa. Our overarching goal is to be the professional partner of choice for households and other stakeholders working towards improving the wellbeing of low-income communities in a responsible way.
At Nova, we take a transdisciplinary approach by co-creating solutions with households and key stakeholders to improve quality of life in low-income communities. We are committed to building a resilient organisation with a skilled, adaptable team that embraces new opportunities.
Our core values are at the heart of everything we do, guiding our approach and shaping our impact.
At Nova, we believe that “the mother in the kitchen and the professor at the university should agree that a stove works as it should.” This philosophy underscores our commitment to ensuring that those living in low-income communities are active agents of change in shaping solutions that enhance their well-being.
We work closely with households and stakeholders to explore effective combinations of ideas and technologies that create meaningful impact. Our approach is transdisciplinary – bringing together community members and experts to deeply understand challenges, co-design, and test solutions that enhance quality of life at both the household and community level.
The Baobab tree is a symbol of life and positivity in the harsh African landscape, where survival is never guaranteed. Over time, it has adapted to thrive, storing water in its vast trunk to sustain itself and produce nutrient-rich fruit even in the dry season. Some Baobabs have stood for over 5,000 years – an enduring testament to resilience.
The Baobab tree is deeply rooted in the African landscape, providing fruit, flowers, shade, and protection to those around it. That’s how we see Nova—home-grown in the Southern African context, built for the long run, and committed to creating lasting impact where we work.
Just like a great sports team, we know that success comes from a shared vision, trust, and the right mix of skills. We focus on:
We actively seek innovative, game-changing opportunities to improve quality of life of low-income households.
We are specifically interested in understanding, testing, and scaling new ways to sustainably improve quality of life and wellbeing.
We approach our work asking ourselves:
In our interactions we strive to:
With a track record spanning three decades, Nova has built strong partnerships across industry, academia, government, and the development sector.