Looking back at our work and reflecting on our process, it’s clear that open-source technology is at the heart of everything we do. It powers our tools, shapes our impact, and enables us to build accessible, data-driven solutions that help cities better serve their people.

Open-source software - where the source is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and share - has been instrumental in our work. Whether it’s providing top-notch economic insights to decision-makers in eThekwini Municipality or ensuring accurate, on the ground information about primary healthcare centres in remote parts of Nigeria, open-source tech is the secret ingredient behind our impact. 

To celebrate these powerful tools and the brilliant minds behind them, we’re spotlighting our favourite open-source superheroes! Each of these platforms brings a unique superpower to the table, from organising open data to transforming raw numbers into interactive insights. Whether you’re a seasoned tech enthusiast or just getting started with open-source, these tools can help you make sense of your data and drive meaningful change. Without further ado, here are our top open-source champions!

1. CKAN - The MVP of Open Data

Superpower: CKAN makes publishing, sharing, accessing and using open data effortless. 

Why we love it: This open-source data management system is the backbone of many open data portals worldwide. It provides governments, organisations, and researchers with a streamlined way to store, organise, and distribute datasets. We’ve seen its impact firsthand in the work we do. CKAN powers Durban EDGE, helping eThekwini Municipality provide top-notch economic insights to decision-makers. With accessible data at their fingertips, urban planners and policymakers can make informed choices that shape the future of cities. 

How it’s used: CKAN enables users to search, visualise, and download data from a central hub. It supports everything from real-time economic reports to transport data and environmental statistics, making it a go-to solution for cities embracing data-driven decision making. 

Fun fact: CKAN is a global favourite! It’s used by governments of Australia, Canada, and Singapore, proving that open-source tech is a game-changer for transparent governance. 

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2. KoboToolbox - The Ultimate Collection Sidekick

Superpower: KoboToolbox makes it easy to collect and manage data from the field - online or offline. 

Why we love it: When working in environments with limited internet access, gathering reliable data can be challenging. KoboToolbox simplifies this process with its intuitive survey and data collection platform. It’s widely used for humanitarian work, research, and government projects, helping organisations collect crucial information directly from communities. Through our flagship product, Africa Data Hub, Orodata Science uses KoboToolbox to gather critical information about Primary Healthcare Centres in remote parts of Nigeria - areas that are often difficult to access and forgotten. This data helps shine a light on healthcare challenges and informs better policy decisions. 

How it’s used: KoboToolbox enables mobile data collection via smartphones, tablets, or web browsers. It works offline, storing data locally until an internet connection is available. KoboToolbox supports multimedia inputs like photos, GPS locations, and audio recordings for richer data insights. It generates real-time reports to help organisations act on data quickly and effectively. 

Fun fact: KoboToolbox is widely used by the UN, NGOs, and research institutions in crisis response, disaster relief, and development projects across the world!

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3. Metabase - The Viz Captain

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Superpower: Turning complex data into clear, interactive dashboards. 

Why we love it: Metabase is a cloud-based, open-source business intelligence platform that makes data exploration intuitive and visually engaging. It allows teams to create dashboards, analyse trends, and share insights - all without needing deep technical expertise. At OCL, we harnessed Metabase’s power for Dexter, our natural language processing platform built in collaboration with Media Monitoring Africa. Dexter evaluates online news articles to enhance transparency and equal representation in the media.

How it’s used: Metabase connects to databases and allows users to query data using a simple interface. It generates interactive dashboards and reports without requiring SQL knowledge. Metabase enables organisations to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and share insights effortlessly. It provides scheduled reports and alerts, ensuring teams stay informed. 

For the 2024 elections, we built four Metabase dashboards that analysed media coverage across various demographics, helping users uncover trends in gender, age, and representation in journalism. Metabase’s access controls ensured that different stakeholders could securely explore data relevant to their needs. By grouping “questions” into dashboards, we transformed Dexter’s vast database - containing over 2 million articles - into actionable insights that journalists, researchers, and media watchdogs could use to track narratives over time.

Fun fact: With its user-friendly interface and powerful visualisation tools, Metabase is a favourite among data teams worldwide, from startups to large enterprises looking to democratise data analysis!

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Last but certainly not least we have Apache Airflow, the Workflow Wiz.  

4. Apache Airflow - The Workflow Wiz

Superpower: Automates and schedules complex data workflows, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Why we love it: In a world where data pipelines are crucial, Airflow ensures they function seamlessly. This open-source workflow automation tool allows teams to define, monitor, and manage data processes efficiently. Our technical team relies on Airflow to streamline data ingestion and processing, making sure information flows effortlessly from one step to the next.

How it’s used: Airflow manages data workflows by automating repetitive tasks. It schedules and monitors data pipelines, reducing manual intervention. Airflow provides a visual interface to track and debug workflows in real-time. It integrates with multiple data sources and cloud services, ensuring flexibility. We use Apache Airflow to manage our workflows across multiple products. 

Fun fact: Apache Airflow was originally developed at Airbnb to manage their massive data infrastructure. Now companies like Twitter, Slack, and Uber also use it to automate their data workflows. 

Why Open Source Matters to Us

That’s our squad, those are our favourite open-source superheroes! At OCL, open-source isn’t just a choice, it’s a reflection of our values. We believe that empowering city residents, fostering trust and accountability in civic spaces, and strengthening government capacity are key to building cities that truly serve their people. Open-source technology helps us do this by making data more accessible, transparent, and actionable. 

What makes open-source so powerful is its collaborative spirit. It breaks down barriers to innovation, ensuring that people have the autonomy to shape the digital tools that impact their lives. As this movement grows, we see enormous potential for open-source to transform civic tech in Africa, where locally driven solutions are crucial for addressing urban challenges.

It’s a movement that is shaping how cities function, how decisions that affect city residents are made, and how city residents engage with their governments. As we continue to build and support open-source tools, we’re not just working toward better technology; we’re working toward more open, inclusive, and responsive cities. 

What are your favourite open-source platforms? 

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