About us
The Empathy Lab combines decades of experience in research, design, heritage and development. Our most valuable asset is our network of trusted specialists, including experts in archives and heritage, geospatial and data sciences, design thinking and technology, and software engineering and development. Our client base extends from South Africa to the EU and UK.
Our team’s professional affiliations include the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI); International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES), American Anthropological Association (AAA), Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA), Anthropology Southern Africa (ASnA), World Archaeological Congress (WAC) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) amongst others.
Nicola du Toit
Director & Experience Lead (M.Phil, LRSM) | Johannesburg, ZA
Nicola is a seasoned digital product designer and researcher with over a decade of experience in human-centred design, educational development and knowledge transmission. Her career has included design, research and management roles in e-commerce, finance, education and the social impact sector, driven by advocacy for accessibility and inclusivity.
Conference Highlights
Dec 2025. Everything is awful. Staying sane and doing good in a world gone mad. UX South Africa. Online.
Nov 2020. Love in the time of Coronavirus: What a pandemic can teach us about creating a more caring, inclusive, and equitable world. With Steve Barnett. UX South Africa. Online.
Nov 2018. More heart and more humans with Inclusive Design. Workshop with Steve Barnett. Agile Testing Days. Potsdam, Germany.
Andrew skinner
Research Consultant (PhD, FRAI) | Johannesburg, ZA
Andrew is an accomplished field researcher with deep expertise in research design and implementation, community-engaged anthropology, and complex systems ethnography. With a background in publicly-funded, transnational research programmes, he brings skills in research project management, knowledge development and public engagement.
Conference highlights
2025. The Other Neuropsychological Model: Brain Lateralisation and Neuromaterialism on Animated Landscapes. Rock Art Research Institute Invitational Seminar. University of the Witwatersrand.
2024. Representative for South Africa – SADC Young Professionals Roundtable; Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA) Biennial Congress. National University of Lesotho.
2024. Mobilising ethnicity, ancestry, and material heritage against a new locus of extractive industry in Makapanstad, North West Province, South Africa. With S. van Wyk. World Anthropological Union (WAU) Inaugural Congress. Johannesburg.
2024. Nicknaming, namesaking, and nominative idiom facilitate a relational pedagogy in the knowledge practices of historic communities in southern Africa. SOAS GLOCAL/AFALA 2024. University of South Africa.
2023. Understanding images of conflict in southern African rock art. With S. Challis. Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Network Lecture Series.
2023. The art of survival: Mitigating the impacts of PTSD in colonial-era rock art. With S. Challis. 88th Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Portland.
2022. An animist shamanism: The world behind San rock art. With S. Challis. Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG43): 'Revolutions'. University of Edinburgh.
Ewald Zietsman
Data & Analytics Lead (M.Sc) | Johannesburg, ZA
Ewald is an experienced data scientist with a background in astrophysics and geomatics. Skilled in machine learning, recommender systems, natural language processing, big data analysis and software engineering, he specialises in applying computational methods to solve complex problems across social and scientific research domains.
Jason coetzee
Associate - Humanitarian Strategy, Programmes & Community Systems | Cape Town, ZA
Jason is a strategic humanitarian and development specialist with 20+ years designing and leading complex health and social-impact programmes across Africa and fragile settings. He works at the intersection of community engagement, human-centred practice, and operational delivery - helping partners translate human realities into clear strategies, evidence, and implementation pathways.
His experience spans governments, UN agencies, international NGOs, and major donors across HIV/TB, SRH, and community systems strengthening.
As an associate of The Empathy Lab, Jason supports research-to-action workstreams: stakeholder engagement, qualitative insight generation, implementation planning, and practical toolkits that improve outcomes on the ground.