Pride Factor is a modern life-skills academy dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of youth around
the globe through motivational live events and relevant content delivered on widely accessible
multimedia platforms. The academy was launched in 2014 by Dene Botha to inspire and guide
teenagers and young adults to overcome the problem of unemployment and its associated poverty
and inequality. Last year, he was recognized as one of Avance Media’s 100 Most Influential Young
South Africans.
“My previous experience in entertainment, coaching and MC’ing large events presented an
opportunity to repurpose that model by making it cool, fun, rewarding and exciting. We call it
‘edutainment’ and ensure that the messaging resonates with the youth and addresses the issues they
face as they move into adulthood and become the leaders of the future” said Botha.
To date, the academy has interacted with and inspired more than 57, 000 young people at over 125
live events and reached hundreds of thousands more via mainstream and social media. “Our online
academy LMS platform has a 92% approval rating, but the most rewarding aspect of our business is
seeing the positive impact it makes in the schools, universities, tertiary institutions and communities
we have reached “said Botha.
Some of the obstacles he encountered whilst starting up, included generating sufficient finance which
resulted to cashing in his investments and selling his house while developing a business model that
now enables the knowledge-hungry youth to access these life-changing benefits at no cost.Botha
realized that the least able to afford to attend the workshops or paying for the online courses were
benefitting the most from their programmes.
According to Botha “the South African startup landscape needs the implementation of legislation that
will reduce corruption, improve the ease of doing business and incentivize big business and the public
sector to support the growth of SMME’s”.
The aspiring entrepreneur added that the tremendous support that they have received from
corporations, government departments and charitable foundations have enabled them to run
interactive workshops; visit nearly every university; expand into Kenya and the UK and to provide
bursaries to students for our online courses in life skills, financial management and entrepreneurship.
Over the next five years,Botha would like to see Pride Factor expand its reach in South Africa and the
Anglophone countries on the African continent, develop and grow similar operations in the UK and to
follow up on some of the opportunities they have been offered in Australia, India and the Philippines
Pride Factor is a modern life-skills academy dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of youth around
the globe through motivational live events and relevant content delivered on widely accessible
multimedia platforms.
The academy was launched in 2014 by Dene Botha to inspire and guide teenagers and young adults to overcome the problem of unemployment and its associated poverty and inequality. Last year, he was recognized as one of Avance Media’s 100 Most Influential Young South Africans.
“My previous experience in entertainment, coaching and MC’ing large events presented an
opportunity to repurpose that model by making it cool, fun, rewarding and exciting. We call it
‘edutainment’ and ensure that the messaging resonates with the youth and addresses the issues they
face as they move into adulthood and become the leaders of the future” said Botha.
To date, the academy has interacted with and inspired more than 57, 000 young people at over 125
live events and reached hundreds of thousands more via mainstream and social media. “Our online
academy LMS platform has a 92% approval rating, but the most rewarding aspect of our business is
seeing the positive impact it makes in the schools, universities, tertiary institutions and communities
we have reached “said Botha.
Some of the obstacles he encountered whilst starting up, included generating sufficient finance which
resulted to cashing in his investments and selling his house while developing a business model that
now enables the knowledge-hungry youth to access these life-changing benefits at no cost.Botha
realized that the least able to afford to attend the workshops or paying for the online courses were
benefitting the most from their programmes.
According to Botha “the South African startup landscape needs the implementation of legislation that
will reduce corruption, improve the ease of doing business and incentivize big business and the public
sector to support the growth of SMME’s”.
The aspiring entrepreneur added that the tremendous support that they have received from
corporations, government departments and charitable foundations have enabled them to run
interactive workshops; visit nearly every university; expand into Kenya and the UK and to provide
bursaries to students for our online courses in life skills, financial management and entrepreneurship.
Over the next five years,Botha would like to see Pride Factor expand its reach in South Africa and the
Anglophone countries on the African continent, develop and grow similar operations in the UK and to
follow up on some of the opportunities they have been offered in Australia, India and the Philippines
