About us

The Empathy Lab combines decades of experience in heritage, development, design and research. 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 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), World Archaeological Congress (WAC) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) amongst others.

A photo of Nicola du Toit looking into the camera, smiling

Nicola du Toit

Co-founder & Experience Lead | 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 management and consulting roles in finance, technology and social impact sectors, driven by advocacy for accessibility and inclusive design.

Andrew skinner

Research Lead | 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.