Social · Research · Lab
People are complicated and we’re good at people.
We help businesses and organisations understand messy, human problems and create impact in an increasingly complex social world.
The Empathy Lab is a human-centred, social research and advisory firm based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We conduct bespoke social research and assessments to help understand complex human challenges and drive meaningful change.
We draw on internationally recognised expertise and a diverse network of academic and industry specialists to deliver scalable research, advisory, and knowledge transfer solutions.
What we do
Qualitative validation. Following the human stories behind corporate sustainability and social investment initiatives, generating narrative assets for industry reporting and governance.
Social risk assessments, strategy and mitigation. Including Social and Human Rights Impact and Risk Analysis (SHIRA) and Social Consequence Matrices (SCM) . We help you identify and manage community-level risks before they become project delays, reputational damage, or regulatory obstacles.
Licence to Operate, Performance & Transition. Facilitated by deep stakeholder and community engagement plans. We build the relationships and local understanding that keeps projects moving—and keeps them welcome.
Social intelligence, evaluation and monitoring. Community relations evaluation and monitoring underpinned by data-driven analysis and reporting. We gather the evidence to demonstrate performance, satisfy stakeholders, and make better decisions.
Our approach
We go where the answers are — and bring back what matters.
Social challenges rarely look the same from a boardroom as they do on the ground. Our methodology is built on the principle that the best evidence comes from direct engagement — listening to communities, stakeholders, and the people closest to the problem.
We combine deep-field qualitative research with advanced data analysis to surface patterns, risks, and opportunities that conventional approaches miss. Our team conducts structured interviews, ethnographic observation, and participatory workshops in the places that matter — then translates complex human realities into clear, evidence-based reporting that supports decision-making at every level.
The result is intelligence that is both rigorous and actionable: grounded in what people actually experience, and presented in the language of governance, compliance, and strategy.
Our Values
Our mission is to be the bridge between organisations and the people they engage. We make sense of complicated human problems and transform evidence into clear action plans, to empower our clients to achieve impact that matters.
We envision a future where research, design and meaning-making are grounded in our shared humanity; collaboration drives change; and evidence guides decisions.
Clarity
Transparent, accountable processes that make complex findings accessible and actionable.
Humanity
Every engagement starts and ends with the people at the heart of the challenge.
Rigour
Ethical, evidence-based implementation held to the highest methodological standards.
