A good facilitator does not tell your team what to decide. They design the session, keep time, draw out the quiet voices, manage the loud ones and make sure the group leaves with an outcome it owns: a plan, a decision, an agreement or a set of actions with names next to them. Facilitators run workshops, strategy days, team building, training and difficult meetings. Tell us what the session is for, how many people and where, and we pass your request to independent facilitators who work in your area. They quote you directly, free and with no obligation.
Facilitator, trainer or speaker?
The words get mixed up, so be clear about what you need. A facilitator runs a process so the group does the thinking; they stay neutral on the content. A trainer teaches content and checks that people can apply it. A speaker or presenter talks to the room. Many practitioners do more than one, but a strategy day needs a facilitator, a compliance course needs a trainer and a conference opening may need a master of ceremonies.
The kinds of facilitation you can ask for
- Workshops to solve a problem, plan a project or consult stakeholders
- Strategy sessions, bosberaads and lekgotlas for management teams and boards
- Team building with activities that are debriefed, not just a fun day
- Training delivered onsite or at a venue
- Meetings, AGMs and community gatherings
- Graphic facilitation, where the conversation is drawn live on a paper wall
How to brief a facilitator
Start with the outcome, not the agenda: "by four o'clock we want three priorities for next year with owners" is a brief a facilitator can design for. Then give the number of people, who they are, any tension in the group, the date, the venue and whether it is in person, virtual or hybrid. Many facilitators work with roughly 20 to 25 people on their own and add a co-facilitator for bigger groups. Expect a briefing call first and then a written proposal with the design, the days (preparation and write-up days are often charged), travel and materials.
Comparing quotes fairly
Facilitators usually quote per day or half day, so line the quotes up on the same basis. Check what each includes: design time, a co-facilitator, flip charts and supplies, the written report, travel and accommodation. Ask what you must arrange yourself, usually the venue, AV and catering. A deposit to hold the date is common, and October to early December books up fast.
Price is only part of it. Ask each facilitator about sessions they have run for a similar group, a mining crew, a school staff or a provincial department, and for a reference you can phone. Check that they can work in the languages your people speak, and ask who will actually be in the room if the quote comes from a firm rather than one person. Read their proposed design: if it looks like a generic agenda with your name on it, ask what they would change for your group.
What to include in your brief
- The outcome you want from the session
- How many people and who they are
- Date, length and in person or online
- Venue booked or still needed
- Whether you want a written report
Facilitators for business, government and communities
- Companies and head offices: strategy days, team sessions and cross-department workshops at head offices and regional branches
- Government departments and municipalities: departmental planning, stakeholder consultations, indabas and imbizos run by a neutral outside facilitator
- Schools, colleges and universities: staff development days, school governing body planning and district workshops for principals
- NPOs, churches and community groups: NPO planning retreats, board sessions, youth programmes and community consultations
- Small and family businesses: a first strategy session, a family business conversation or a team reset after growth
- Mines, plants, factories and farms: shift team sessions, safety workshops and planning days for mines, plants and farms
- Event organisers and associations: breakout sessions and workshop tracks within a conference or association gathering
- Training and skills development providers: training providers and HR teams who need extra facilitators for a programme or contract
Frequently asked questions
What does a facilitator actually do on the day?
Should we use an outside facilitator or someone from inside?
Can a facilitator run a session online?
Do you provide the facilitators yourselves?
Facilitators by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg