Group update

Dive into our worlds - Ashika Kirpal

Making the difference

I wear a few hats. I’m responsible for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) - a legalisative framework aimed at reducing inequality in South Africa… as well as learning and development, and talent. But the work closest to my heart is Naspers Labs. Fourteen years in, what’s kept me here is still the same: clear direction, leaders who bring us along on the journey, and the sense that every piece of the puzzle matters.

The urgency behind Labs

South Africa’s challenges are real. Unemployment sits above 33% - most of them young people - and only 18% of graduates come from STEM fields. Too few for a digital future!

“The statistics can feel discouraging - and encouraging - because they show us exactly where to act.”

That’s where the amazing work at Labs comes in. Since 2022, more than 7,200 young people have trained in digital skills - with over 6,200 moving into work. Behind those numbers are people - with stories you don’t forget. Like the group of young women who built an app helping people with disabilities access e-learning. They won a hackathon, flew to the US, and pitched at a Women in Tech conference. It all started with Labs. Stories like that still give me goosebumps.

Backing that makes it possible

At Prosus, backing means trust, the right tools, and an AI-first mindset that brings everyone along for the journey. Five years ago, if you’d told me my team would be building AI agents, I’d have laughed. Today we’re hands-on, using tools like Toqan to take care of the time-consuming tasks so we can focus where it really matters: with learners, on research, on designing better programmes. We zoom in, zoom out, figure it out fast.

I love the jet ski mindset. Prosus is a big ship with a clear course. Instead of steering the whole thing every time there’s a new idea, we send out a jet ski - a pilot project with a little funding and support. If it works, we scale. If not, we learn fast and move on. That’s what makes innovation feel safe, and possible.

The ecosystem at work

Labs doesn’t work in isolation and it’s our partnerships that make it stronger. Recently we teamed up with businesses in e-commerce and delivery. They bring the platforms, we bring the training. Together we’re equipping personal shoppers and small sellers with digital and marketing skills. The effect goes both ways: new income and access for underserved communities, and fresh growth for the platforms. And when people get skills, they pass the baton - each one teach one - so the impact travels further than any single project.

That’s the ecosystem in action - each of us backing the other with something only we can bring.

The impact that keeps me energised

Inclusion runs through it all. Of the young people trained at Labs, more than 60% are women and just over 4% are people with disabilities. In our Johannesburg office, our barista is deaf - and the team has made that work every single day. We don’t just talk inclusion; it’s engraved and embedded in how we work every day.

“For me it all comes back to one thing: impacting lives and livelihoods. Do that well, and the business grows too. That’s what keeps me energised.”

If you’re inspired by what we’re doing and want to be part of it, check out our openings on the Prosus Careers site or follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates and opportunities.