For Martin Janse van Rensburg, giving back isn’t a side project, it’s a way of life. Now partnering with Badisa to help digitise aged care facilities in South Africa, Martin shares a story shaped by early struggles, unexpected opportunities, and the people who believed in him when he had nothing to offer. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if others hadn’t helped me,” he says. “Now, it’s my turn.”
“Dyslexia became my strength”
Martin didn’t always believe he had something to offer. “I was held back twice at school,” he recalls. “Reading and writing were always a struggle. When I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, it just confirmed what I already felt – that I didn’t fit the mould.”
Born in 1973 in Johannesburg and the youngest of four, Martin says his early years were filled with frustration. But looking back, he doesn’t see those struggles as limitations. “Dyslexia shaped how I think. It forced me to solve problems differently. I didn’t realise it then, but it became my strength.”
At sixteen, he left school and turned to technical studies – first electronics, and then electrical work. Finding a job in the early 1990s wasn’t easy. Says Martin, “I literally went door to door until someone gave me a chance. That’s how I started working as an electrician.”
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Forging a new path
After a difficult breakup, Martin made a bold decision. “I packed a backpack and left South Africa. I had no plan, just a need to move forward.” His travels took him across Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and eventually to the United Kingdom.
It was there that a new chapter in a computer factory began. Says Martin, “I was assembling machines and watching how things worked. I got curious, so I started teaching myself how to install software and how to build networks.”
He remembers, “I asked so many questions, I’m sure I drove people mad. But I stayed late, I learned, and eventually I moved into tech support.” His willingness to learn opened doors, including a role at British Telecom, where key mentors guided him into larger roles at companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Cisco.
“I built a career by staying curious, by serving others”
“I never had a formal degree,” Martin says, “but I never stopped learning. “My hunger to grow, paired with my desire to uplift others, became the foundation of my success.”
But Martin’s story isn’t just about career success. It’s about purpose.
“The thing that’s stayed with me most,” he reflects, “is the people who helped me when I had nothing to offer them. That shaped me. Now I try to do the same.”
A heart for South Africa
In 2007, he immigrated to Australia, but his heart has never left South Africa. “It’s home. And if I can use what I’ve learned to give something back, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
With years of international experience, Martin and his team are now applying technology solutions to solve deeply local challenges. By partnering with organisations like Badisa, they’re helping digitise aged care facilities. Says Martin, “Too many caregivers are stuck behind piles of paperwork. What if we could change that?”
He continues, “This isn’t about tech for the sake of tech. It’s about time. Dignity. Human connection. If we can reduce administration, then caregivers can do what they were called to do, which is care.”
Finding fulfillment in serving others
Martin’s philosophy is one he lives by daily: give more than you take. Whether it’s mentoring young engineers, building education programmes, or helping revolutionise aged care, he believes fulfilment comes not from success, but from service.
“I don’t think I have all the answers,” he says. “But I do believe in showing up, doing what you can, and helping where you’re needed.”
Martin’s philosophy is simple: give more than you take. In his eyes, real success isn’t measured in titles or paychecks, it’s measured in the lives you touch.
