QuadPara Association of South Africa

What QuadPara Association of South Africa does

The QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) is a registered non-profit organisation (NPO 000-881) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 3130), founded in June 1978 in Johannesburg by a group of quadriplegics to coordinate representation for persons with spinal cord injury in South Africa. QASA describes itself as the leading agency representing quadriplegics and paraplegics in the country and operates a national headquarters in Gillitts (KwaZulu-Natal) plus three regional associations in Gauteng North, Gauteng South, and Western Cape, serving more than 3,000 members.

The organisation runs an integrated portfolio of programmes and services rather than a single product. Core service lines include provision of mobility and assistive devices (wheelchairs, typing/mouthing sticks), the Bags of Hope post-discharge support project (with Coloplast), the Driving Ambitions driver training programme with hand controls in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape, Independent Living self-help centres, Universal Access Audits for buildings and facilities, and Adapted Car Hire of wheelchair-accessible vehicles in KwaZulu-Natal. Programmes span the Work Readiness and Employment Project (with SCallaghan Recruitment), the Education and Sports Fund, the Road Safety Early Intervention & Prevention Campaign (initiated 2003), Disability Awareness workshops for employers, Wheelchair Accessible Homes rural modifications, and a 6-week Life Coaching Programme. The organisation also publishes the Rolling Inspiration quarterly magazine and the SCI Talk podcast.

QASA's revenue model is diversified across very low individual membership fees (R20/year), donations and Section 18A tax-deductible fundraising (Mandela Day '67 Minutes to Moola', Casual Day stickers, the Bottle Tops recycling project that funds a wheelchair per 450kg collected), corporate grants and sponsorships from named partners including Nedbank, Coloplast, Tracker, Davies Foundation, Pick n Pay, Auto-X, Turrito, FEM, Argantic, and Newsclip, plus modest professional service fees from access audits and adapted vehicle hire. Distribution is community-led through regional offices, rehabilitation hospital partnerships, and the 2025 'Corner to Corner' national outreach initiative.

Name

QuadPara Association of South Africa

Legal name

Quadpara Association Of South Africa Npo 000-881

Website

https://qasa.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) is a registered NPO founded in 1978 that advocates for and delivers programmes and services to more than 3,000 quadriplegics and paraplegics across South Africa through three regional associations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy and Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Spinal cord injury support
• Assistive device provision
• Disability employment programs
• Accessibility audit services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gillitts

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of R20 for individual members. Provides access to all QASA services and programmes.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations collected through various campaigns including Mandela Day '67 Minutes to Moola', Casual Day sticker sales, and general fundraising efforts. Section 18A tax certificates available for donations.
3. Wheelchair Funding via Bottle Tops: Funds raised through recycling bottle tops and bread tags - for every 450 kgs of bottle tops recycled, a wheelchair is funded for a QASA member.
4. Universal Access Audits: QASA conducts access audits for buildings and facilities to assess accessibility for persons with disabilities, providing professional assessment services.
5. Adapted Vehicle Hire: Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) available for hire in KwaZulu-Natal area with driver, providing accessible transport services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) is a national non-profit organisation that delivers advocacy, education, and direct support services for more than 3,000 quadriplegics and paraplegics across South Africa. Its offerings span mobility and assistive devices, adapted driver training, employment-readiness programmes, education and sports funding, disability awareness workshops, universal access audits, adapted vehicle hire, and post-injury "Bags of Hope" discharge packs, complemented by the Rolling Inspiration quarterly magazine and SCI Talk podcast.

Product overview

The QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) offers a comprehensive ecosystem of services and programmes for quadriplegics and paraplegics. Rather than a single product, QASA operates as a unified service organization comprising multiple interconnected programmes and publications. Core services include the Provision of Mobility & Assistive Devices (wheelchairs, speech software, typing sticks), Independent Living support through Self-Help Centres, and Adapted Car Hire. Employment-focused offerings include the Work Readiness Programme, Employment Project (partnered with SCallaghan), and Life Coaching Programme. Education and skills development is supported through the Education Fund, Driving Ambitions Programme, and Disability Awareness Workshops. Health and wellness is addressed through the Road Safety Campaign, Bags of Hope (healthcare products), and various publications including the quarterly Rolling Inspiration Magazine and SCI Talk podcast. Additional services include Access Audits, Accessible Parking Discs, and the Wheelchair Accessible Homes rural development project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rolling Inspiration: A lifestyle publication for people with mobility impairments published on a quarterly basis, free to read or download
• SCI Talk

Products and services

• Rolling Inspiration Magazine Quarterly lifestyle publication for people with mobility impairments, free to read or download, owned and published by QASA.
• Work Readiness Programme Skills development programme that prepares QASA members for permanent employment in the formal sector, including soft-skills training and formal work experience placements.
• Education and Sports Fund Funding for education and skills training at accredited institutions, plus support for wheelchair sports participation to enable holistic development.
• Driving Ambitions Programme Driver training project teaching persons with mobility impairments to drive vehicles fitted with hand controls, offered in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape.
• Road Safety Early Intervention & Prevention Campaign Campaign initiated in 2003 to promote responsible road-user behaviour, focusing on distracted driving reduction and seatbelt use ('Buckle Up - We Don't Want New Members!').
• Provision of Mobility & Assistive Devices Provides access to essential mobility and assistive devices including wheelchairs, speech/voice recognition software, typing sticks, and mouthing sticks for persons with disabilities.
• Universal Access Audits Paid inspection service to assess the ease of access and use of environments, services, or facilities by people with access impairments.
• Accessible Parking Discs Provides wheelchair parking bays and discs for persons who use wheelchairs, enabling wider parking spaces close to entrances for safe transfer.
• Bags of Hope Discharge packs containing healthcare product samples (such as catheters), information on spinal cord injury management, and disability rights information, distributed to persons leaving rehabilitation units (in partnership with Coloplast).
• Adapted Car Hire Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) available for hire with driver in the KwaZulu-Natal area, equipped with wheelchair lifts.
• Independent Living (Self-Help Centres) Focus area promoting independent living for quadriplegics and paraplegics through self-help centres and support services.
• Disability Awareness & Sensitisation Workshops Half-day training workshop equipping employers and employees with skills and knowledge required to interact confidently with persons with disabilities.
• Wheelchair Accessible Homes Rural development project identifying accessibility needs of persons with mobility impairments and removing barriers through ramps and accessible bathrooms/toilets.
• Employment Project Partnership with SCallaghan recruitment company to support members in accessing meaningful employment through relationship building with employers and CV development support.
• Life Coaching Programme 6-week online programme (delivered in partnership with Len Davey of The World Within) that supports members in building confidence, emotional resilience, and clarity of purpose to move towards permanent employment.
• Outreach Programme (Corner to Corner) National initiative under the 'Corner to Corner' slogan to introduce quadriplegics and paraplegics to QASA's projects and services and encourage membership, including rural outreach.
• Bottle Tops Project Recycling initiative where collected bottle tops (and bread tags) are sold to fund customised wheelchairs for QASA members — every 450kg of bottle tops recycled funds one wheelchair.
• SCI Talk Podcast Podcast exploring spinal cord injuries and related topics through conversations with individuals with SCIs, medical professionals, specialists, and service providers. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, and YouTube.
• Publications Portfolio Collection of educational publications including Rolling Inspiration magazine, Caregiver Wellness guides, Hidden Consequences of SCI, Sawubona Disability, Overt Consequences of Spinal Cord Injuries, Reimbursement Toolkit, and Sexuality After SCI resources.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• South African Disability Alliance (SADA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSADA is a voluntary consultative forum of national disability organisations working to advance the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities in South Africa and improve quality of life.
• Disabled People South Africa (DPSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPSA is a non-profit democratic cross-disability body that mobilises and advocates for rights for attainment of equal opportunity. Recognised as the national assembly of disabled people by Disabled People International (DPI) with UN observer status.
• Southern African Spinal Cord Association (SASCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSASCA provides information to healthcare professionals and policymakers, promotes treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injured, and networks with governmental and non-governmental organisations. Affiliated with International Spinal Cord Society (ISCS).
• SCallaghan RecruitmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCallaghan is a professional recruitment company led by a recruiter who is also a QASA member. The Employment Project combines recruitment expertise with lived disability experience to connect QASA members with meaningful employment.
• The World Within (Len Davey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLen Davey is a QASA member and qualified Life Coach who delivers the 6-week Life Coaching Programme in partnership with QASA. The programme builds confidence, emotional resilience, and clarity of purpose for members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Whizz-Kidz: UK-based charity providing mobility equipment (wheelchairs) and disability inclusion programmes to young people. Comparable to QASA on the assistive-device provisioning side and youth-focused empowerment, though specialising in paediatric users and operating internationally rather than in South Africa.
• Back Up Trust: UK charity supporting people affected by spinal cord injury through wheelchair skills training, mentoring, activity courses and returning-to-work support. Programme mix (skills training, peer mentoring, vocational reintegration) is closely aligned with QASA's Driving Ambitions, Work Readiness and peer-support offerings.
• Chaeli Campaign: South African disability NPO providing mobility equipment, therapy and sport participation support to children with disabilities. Comparable in funding model (donations, fundraising) and focus on assistive devices, but specialised on paediatric disability rather than SCI.
• Multiple Sclerosis South Africa (MSSA): National NPO providing support, advocacy and resources for persons living with multiple sclerosis — a population with overlapping mobility and accessibility needs to QASA's SCI members. Comparable in member-based NPO structure, regional chapters and rehabilitation-support orientation.

Direct peers

• South African Disability Alliance (SADA): Voluntary consultative forum of national disability organisations advancing rights and quality of life for persons with disabilities in South Africa — a named QASA strategic alliance partner. SADA operates at a coordination/advocacy layer similar to QASA, but at the broader cross-disability level rather than SCI-specific.
• Disabled People South Africa (DPSA): Cross-disability national NPO and UN-recognised assembly of disabled people in South Africa, explicitly listed as a QASA strategic alliance partner. Both organisations pursue advocacy and rights-based support for persons with disabilities in South Africa, with overlapping member and stakeholder networks.
• Southern African Spinal Cord Association (SASCA): Regional SCI-focused association providing information to healthcare professionals and policymakers, affiliated with the International Spinal Cord Society. Explicitly listed as a QASA strategic alliance partner; both target the SCI population in Southern Africa from complementary medical/professional and member-led angles.
• National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA): Established South African NPO providing rehabilitation, assistive devices, employment support and advocacy for persons with physical disabilities. Highly comparable to QASA in mission and programme mix (mobility devices, work preparation, accessibility), serving a broader physical-disability population rather than SCI specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: Largest US-based spinal cord injury advocacy and research foundation, funding SCI research, quality-of-life programmes and advocacy. Comparable to QASA in mission scope (SCI-specific advocacy, member support, mobility grants) but operates at a much larger scale and includes a research-funding arm.

Regional players

• Spinal Injuries Association: UK-based membership NPO supporting spinal cord injured persons through advice, peer support, advocacy and accessible services. Closest international equivalent in mission and programme design to QASA, though operating in a different geography and healthcare system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@qasa1995/podcasts
• Facebookfacebook.com/QuadParaSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quadpara-association-of-south-africa
• Instagraminstagram.com/quadpara/?hl=en%20%20

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QuadPara Association of South Africa