Soft skills training covers how people work with each other and with customers: communication, customer service, time management, handling conflict, presenting and emotional intelligence. It works when people practise, get feedback and practise again, not when they sit through slides. Tell us the team, the skill, how many people and where, and we pass your request to independent trainers and facilitators who work in your area. They quote you directly, free and with no obligation to book. Most courses run from half a day to two days, in-house, at a venue or online.
What soft skills training covers
- Communication: listening, asking questions, writing clear emails, giving and taking feedback
- Customer service: greeting, handling complaints, calming an angry customer, on the phone and face to face
- Time management: planning a week, priorities, meetings and interruptions
- Conflict: difficult conversations between colleagues, before they become grievances
- Presentation skills: structuring a talk, nerves, speaking to a room or a camera
- Emotional intelligence: noticing your own reactions and other people's, and staying calm under pressure
Practice beats slides
Ask for a course that is mostly doing. Role play with real situations from your workplace, short recorded practice with feedback, pair work and small groups of 5 to 8 make the difference. A trainer can handle roughly 20 people in one room; above that, ask for a second trainer or split the group. Language matters too: people practise better in a language they are comfortable in, so ask whether the trainer can run sessions or role plays in isiZulu, Afrikaans, Sesotho or another language your team speaks.
In-house, at a venue or online
In-house sessions in your boardroom are convenient and cost less, but people get pulled back to their desks. A venue nearby keeps them focused. Online sessions work best in shorter blocks of 90 minutes to half a day, with breakout rooms for practice and a backup plan for load-shedding. For call centre and retail teams, a series of short sessions between shifts often works better than one long day.
Getting it to stick, and comparing quotes
Brief the team's managers so they can coach and notice the new habits, and plan a follow-up session a month later. Agree what you will look at afterwards, such as complaint numbers or mystery shopper scores; see training evaluation. When you compare quotes, ask how much of the time is practice, whether the content is tailored to your work, what the learners take home and whether the course is accredited or non-credit.
What to include in your brief
- The skill you want to build
- Number of people and their roles
- Languages the team is comfortable in
- In-house, at a venue or online
- Real examples the trainer can use
Soft Skills Training for business, government and communities
- Companies and head offices: communication, presentation and conflict courses for office teams and new managers
- Government departments and municipalities: customer service training for front desk staff at departments and municipal offices
- Schools, colleges and universities: communication and conflict skills for school admin staff and lecturers
- NPOs, churches and community groups: volunteer and fieldworker training in listening, conflict and working with the public
- Small and family businesses: customer service and phone skills for a small team that deals with clients every day
- Mines, plants, factories and farms: communication and conflict skills for supervisors and shift teams
- Event organisers and associations: guest service and complaint handling for venue and event staff before the busy season
- Training and skills development providers: soft skills modules added to learnerships and youth employment programmes
Frequently asked questions
How long is a soft skills course?
Can soft skills training be customised for our team?
Is soft skills training accredited?
Do you provide the trainers yourselves?
Soft Skills Training 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