About Skillwise
SkillWise grew out of four decades of research by Dr Rob Stead. When the first personal computers arrived, Rob saw what they could do for education in the parts of South Africa that get overlooked. He spent his career on one question: how do adults learn quickly, and build skills that actually last? His answer shaped everything we do. Motivation has to come from within, not be forced from outside, and you learn by doing, not by collecting information.
We founded SkillWise in 2002 to put that thinking to work across the country. At its heart is a training platform built for real, applied skills, the kind that hold up in a workplace. You can do the whole course online and on your own, but most learners tell us it helps to be in a class, with a facilitator on hand and classmates alongside them. So we built an ecosystem around that: today, around 20 independent centres reach into communities across South Africa. Some run as small businesses, some as non-profits, and donor funding helps cover learners who cannot pay the full fee, so nobody is turned away.
The Engine Room
Backstage
Dr Rob Stead
Founder and Managing Director
Gavin Leverton
Enterprise Mentor
Edwin Nel
System Architect
Sharon Lagorie
Admin Officer, Centre Support
And what of the students themselves? To date, over 7000 people have boosted their future careers by completing the SkillWise computer skills courses. Most have been in the 20-to-40-year age range, although a few have been over 60!
A recent survey showed that 70% of graduates who complete the SkillWise program have taken a bold next step – some have found good jobs on the basis of their new skills, while others have been inspired by their success to go back to complete their matric or to undertake tertiary education.