ShonaquipSE

ShonaquipSE was founded in 1992. Inspired by Shona McDonald’s second daughter Shelly, who was born with cerebral palsy, unable to speak and almost totally deaf. Shona’s refusal to accept medical advice and to “put her daughter in a home and have another baby” led her to establish a small business and a NPO from her garage, which grew into a globally recognized Hybrid Social Enterprise and leader in the Disability Sector. 

ShonaquipSE is Africa’s first ISO 13485 Certified Wheelchair Production Facility and is a recognized innovator of rural appropriate assistive technology (AT) an eco-systemic approach to disability inclusion. They are the primary supplier of pediatric wheelchairs and posture support equipment in Southern Africa, providing equipment on government tenders, to private medical insurance companies and INGO's eg ICRC and HI 

The  Organization and Founder have been recognized on multiple local and international platforms and awards including: Winner of the Ernst and Young Social Entrepreneur of South Africa Awards (2009); World Economic Forum – Outstanding Social Entrepreneur – South Africa (2010); Ashoka Change Maker (2012) Design Indaba Expo Innovation Award (2014); Winner of the 2015 Western Cape Chamber of Commerce: International Woman Entrepreneurial Challenge IWEC Awardee 2015; Western Cape Exporter of the Year (2015); Winner of the UNECA Innovation and Investment Forum (2020); EY Meaningful Business 100 (2021); Africa Business Heroes Award (2022); Mail and Guardian Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award (2023).
 

Impact has grown steadily over the past 32 years despite economic downturns, breakdown in government delivery and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our relatively small team of 82 expects to realise our annual reach of over half a million end users, their families, health care and educational providers by 2025.
With our recognized expertise in Assistive Technology production, provision, training and support services, our replicable hybrid business model and interest from multiple African and International partners, we continue to foster and build multiple collaborative partnerships that can sustainably meet the address the needs of over 9.7 million people in the Southern African Development Community who have mobility disabilities, economically affecting 66.93 million family members.

ShonaquipSE’s sustainability and growth plans, make a strong case for investment in local innovation and manufacture  as a mechanism to secure sustainable, scaled impact and systemic change. 

To ensure that end users receive quality products appropriate to both their clinical needs and the physical environment in which they will be used, we have invested a great deal of time and effort building and maintaining the highest International Quality Management Systems.  To this end ShonaquipSE is Africa’s first and only ISO13485 Certified Wheelchair Production Facility. We are SAHPRA Registered, FDA Registered and CE Registered – placing us in an ideal position to export our innovations to the Global North.

Our ISO certified Wheelchair Test Laboratory enables LMIC innovators to quality test products for rural terrain suitability at affordable rates. By developing unique tests for rural terrain, we are changing the game of quality AT in Africa and other challenging environments. We are reducing the costs associated with inappropriate wheelchair donations that break in low resourced settings and rough terrain, causing environmental hazards and landfills. 

ShonaquipSE increased our impact to reach 21000 families and health care providers, directly affecting more than 3550000 people annually Our sales turnover increased by 40% in 2022/23 and we look forward to maintaining this growth again in this 2023/24 financial cycle
Our growth ensures our mission and ensures that with an appropriate assistive device, knowledge to make informed choices and the agency to action those choices, a family of a child with a disability will never need to experience their child as less valued.