SpringAge, the youth-led innovation consultancy founded by Neliswa Fente and Raelene Rorke Clarke in 2014, was acquired by Deloitte in August 2016 and continues to operate today as Springage by Deloitte within Deloitte’s Greenhouse Africa innovation hub.
What made SpringAge worth acquiring
SpringAge built its value proposition around young professionals and community leaders helping corporate clients, including Microsoft4Afrika, South African Breweries and Vodacom, solve problems using millennial-focused insight and methodology. With around 70% of Africa’s population now under the millennial threshold, that lens was a genuine differentiator Deloitte’s own consulting teams didn’t have in-house.
What the founders say mattered most in the deal
Clarke and Fente were explicit that “building to sell” was never a literal goal, but they deliberately ran the business with the operational discipline to be ready if the opportunity came, clean admin, proud client work, and a clear story about the value they created. Money, they said, was an important line item but never the primary motivator behind the deal.
Where the founders are now
Neliswa Fente continues in a senior role at Deloitte, now serving as Deloitte World Impact Africa Lead, extending the same youth-focused innovation work that built SpringAge’s original reputation into a much larger platform.
Frequently asked questions
Is SpringAge still operating?
Yes, as Springage by Deloitte, integrated into Deloitte’s Greenhouse Africa innovation hub since the August 2016 acquisition.
Who founded SpringAge?
Neliswa Fente and Raelene Rorke Clarke founded the youth-led innovation consultancy in 2014.
Why was SpringAge attractive to Deloitte?
Its millennial-focused professional network offered Deloitte a differentiated lens on youth markets that its existing consulting teams lacked.
What is Deloitte Greenhouse Africa?
A creative, collaborative innovation hub Deloitte runs globally to help clients stay competitive through strategic planning and technology-enabled facilitation.
What is Neliswa Fente’s role at Deloitte today?
She serves as Deloitte World Impact Africa Lead, building on the youth-innovation focus that defined SpringAge, work that continues to intersect with the youth-employment priorities the Department of Employment and Labour tracks nationally.
Further reading
Originally published in September 2016. Updated September 2026 to confirm SpringAge continues operating as Springage by Deloitte, and link current guidance for founders building a business with a future acquisition in mind.
