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Unlock opportunities. Drive innovation.
Use design thinking and data visualisation to bring a human-centred approach to innovation.
Discover Insights
Understand your audience - their pains, problems, attitudes - and what they want to achieve at an emotional level beyond your product or service.
Design Solutions
Ideate and identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with your initial level of understanding.
Deliver Results
Use valuable customer-centred data to iteratively optimise your branding and marketing efforts for the greatest possible impact.
Human-centred design thinking meets data science.
Everything starts and ends with the customer. That's why nothing is more important than understanding your client's needs, wants, problems and desires. And that's why we're so obsessed with increasing our understanding of human behaviour. To do so, we visualise and analyse data, then use our analyses to discover new business insights and generate innovate ideas. Lastly, we test these new ideas in the market - whether it's a new product and service - then iterate and improve on them again and again.
We don't simply optimise or fix things because they are broken. No, doing the wrong things more efficiently is absurd. Therefore, before we ask the 'What?' and 'How?' questions, we start with 'Why?' This enables us to challenge outdated assumptions and take a human-centred approach to innovation.
Most companies focus on investing in the technology and talent associated with advanced analytics without considering the broader changes they will need to make to fully deploy analytics and get optimal results. At Alinea, we know what it takes to create a data-driven culture, championed by key stakeholders within your organisation.
Astute organisations do well to invest in data analytics initiatives, but the real winners are those that can align these investments with their strategic and organisational goals in ways that lead to action and results.
What is Design Thinking?
See and understand your data.
Our Expertise
Previous clients range from Africa's largest retailer and asset manager to large non-profit organisations and small local businesses who are striving to expand. Most of our clients use our data analytics service to inform their strategic decision making and their targets for the immediate, mid-term and long-term future. The data sources that we use for this type of analysis include customer-centric data, sales figures, costs, market data and customer feedback. Using best-in-class data analytics tools as rated independently in Gartner's Annual Magic Quadrant, we use our data visualisation expertise to provide our clients with real-world revenue-generating strategies and cost-effective solutions. Our software allows you to answer questions, share insights, and manage user permissions, all on one integrated analytics platform. Easily analyse data of any size, from any source, on any computing platform. No hidden fees or limitations. Contact us today to learn how we can help you to see and understand your data.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Our Approach.
Humans inherently crave connection. With that in mind, we use world-class data visualisation tools to quickly and easily analyse your data. We then apply design thinking best practices to enable you to better understand your customers: their needs, wants and desires. This will enable you to provide them with products, services and experiences that foster deeper connections, increased brand loyalty, and ultimately, improvements to your bottom line.
We’ll empower you to create a data-driven culture that enables you to see and understand your data by means of interactive dashboards and data analytics. Our engagements inform and inspire decision-makers to make informed decisions and to add value where it matters most.
We believe that data visualisation is a tool, understanding is the key, and a meaningful connection with your customer is the catalyst of any enduring business.
Our Mission.
To create deeper and more meaningful connections between people and brands by means of data visualisation and design thinking best practices.
Let's Connect.
Understand your customers in new ways to provide them with what they really want.
About Alinea's Founder
Stephanus de Kock has founded companies in sectors ranging from data analytics to luxury travel. Before embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Stephanus served as a management consultant to blue chip multinational companies in the asset management, financial and retail industries. He also advised one of Africa’s largest non-profit organisations on how to identify and develop high-impact entrepreneurs.
Stephanus possesses a wealth of experience in data visualisation, design thinking, strategy consulting, business intelligence, data analytics, scenario planning, business optimisation, startups, branding and marketing. His creative approach to business problems enables him to deliver innovative solutions that leverage the latent human, technological and financial capital of his clients. He has the unique ability to start with the end in mind, communicate effectively with executive management and then strategically guide relevant stakeholders to implement a workable enterprise solution that can scale.
Stephanus holds an M.Phil. from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He also holds an MBA (Cum Laude) from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town, where he served as Class President. Lastly, he holds a Bachelor in Arts in Values and Policies Studies (Cum Laude) from the University of Stellenbosch, where he served on the Student Representative Council, Senate and Institutional Forum.
His passion is helping individuals and businesses reach their full potential. He is happily married and has three children.
Testimonials
Below are a few testimonials based on Stephanus's experience as a consultant in the following sectors: financial services, asset management, PBOs (public benefit organisations), public entities, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), real estate, hospitality, online travel, listed holding companies, micro-finance, retail, startups and education.

From the first time I met him, Stephanus surprised me with his depth of knowledge and creative approach to difficult problems. He continued to do so as we worked together over several projects for large financial services clients. He combines an intellectual and rigorous style with a dry sense of humour and willingness to take chances on ideas – not afraid to ask difficult questions and deal with the answer. I highly recommend him.
Paul Mitchell
Former Fintech and Blockchain Lead at PwC South Africa

Stephanus’ role as Business Intelligence Consultant at the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation was pivotal in that he was required amongst other tasks to provide insights into the effectiveness of the Foundation’s work, research for presentations and recommendations on strategy as a result of his analysis of disparate data collected from a range of sources. Stephanus is hardworking and entirely responsible. He will not rest until he has found a solution to the job request. He is highly intelligent and uses this to provide truly useful insights based on his ability to understand numbers, data analysis, tech solutions, creative presentation and excellent written reporting. Stephanus is also very easy to work with being a person who strives to create pleasant and constructive working environments.
Margie Worthington-Smith
Senior Enterprise Fellow at the International Centre for Entrepreneurship Research (CER)

Stephanus has demonstrated and advanced technical, analytical and stakeholder management skills. He is able to operate in very complex organisational contexts and use computer programs to create buy-in and deploy organisational strategies that enable data management across departmental functions. He has a genuine willingness to unlock projects and situations across multiple domains and departments. His mentoring of team members and depth of business intelligence and programme management capabilities and know-how are impressive traits. Stephanus’ most endearing characteristics are his work ethic, self-starter orientation and reliability as a project completer and incorporating best in class technology and approaches.
Graeme Howard de Bruyn
Learning Solutions Practice Lead at FranklinCovey Southern Africa

Stephanus is a highly intelligent, innovative and hard working individual. He is continuously looking at ways to do things better. My recommendation to companies using him as a consultant is to give him the problem, some time and the solution will follow.
Francois Laurence CA (SA)
Managing Director of BluePrint BI and former Senior Business Analyst at Allan Gray

Stephanus is a good networker and interacts seamlessly with colleagues and clients alike. He is hard working and brought some interesting insights to the project team.
Adam Herringer
Business Analyst at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management

Stephanus is a consummate professional. He brings extraordinary passion, intelligence and dedication to any project to which he is directed whether it be establishing our scholarship programme or setting up the business intelligence function. Not only does he bring exceptional ability to these endeavours, driven by his remarkable passion for learning, but it is always carried out with unquestionable integrity and commitment to doing it the right way. A pleasure and gift with whom to work.
Anthony Farr
Former CEO of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation

Working with Stephanus was a real inspiration; from the very first day in the office his inquisitive mind and broad knowledge (and wisdom) really stood out, and he certainly raised the bar in our analyst team. He is also a man of great integrity, never afraid to do the right thing or stand against injustice. He also kick-started my love for data visualisation when he brought his wealth of experience with Tableau into our team!
Ruan van Rhyn
Head of BI at JUMO
"Action expresses priorities."
– Gandhi
Contact us
Location
Alinea Strategy (Pty) Ltd is based in George in South Africa’s Garden Route.
We service clients in all parts of South Africa, including internationally, depending on their requirements and the nature of the project involved.
Email: info@alineastrategy.com
Contact us
Location
Alinea Strategy (Pty) Ltd is based in George in South Africa’s Garden Route.
We service clients in all parts of South Africa, including internationally, depending on their requirements and the nature of the project involved.
Email: info@alineastrategy.com