Madeleine Pretorius

Madeleine Pretorius, a dynamic CEO and founder of Skills4Africa Training Industries, is making a difference with a philosophy of “Better Together”. She is an award-winning people empowerment specialist in training and education, an international coach, and specialises in training young and old to reach their full potential.

Although a qualified behaviour expert (bachelor’s in social sciences and psychology from UNISA), Madeleine studied further in many fields like human resources, communication, transformational leadership, sales, marketing, business management, and public relations. With her expertise, she steers Skills4Africa to provide a unique learning experience, both online and personally, to positively impact the youth and lives of others with training projects like “Sikhona”, “Youth in Communities” and “Passport To Work”.

Polishing Diamonds
With Skills4Africa, Madeleine inspires individuals, CEOs, executives, and teams to break through barriers to ignite purpose in life! With her vision to create job opportunities, stimulate the economy and marry skills with portfolio of evidence of practical work experience, she polishes the diamonds of South Africa in two other ventures of Skills4Africa, namely, The Gentlemen’s Club Finishing School and Princesses to Queens Finishing School.

Madeleine is a mental and holistic wellness coach and strives to guide students as part of a personalised curriculum. With Skills4Africa the powerful combination of education and her founded 24K (purest form of a diamond) mentorship programme, she teaches people to be successful in all areas of life. Her positive energy flows over to the older generation helping successful leaders to leave a legacy. As an international coach in peak performance, business, leadership, transformation, and cultural development, she is a trailblazer for many.

Madeleine founded Skills4Africa to bring hope to young people in KZN, especially the South Coast. “Many feel that education is too expensive, or they don’t know what the future holds. I wanted to change that by providing online courses that are accessible and affordable,” she explains.

Skills4Africa offers a broad range of over 300 courses, catering to various skill levels and career aspirations. “These courses cover everything from basic qualifications, like a learner’s licence, to advanced fields such as administration, finance, operations management, and retail management.” The courses are designed to be user-friendly and include a variety of formats, such as reading materials, video content, and interactive exercises. Upon completion, certificates are sent directly to the participants’ email. These courses can be accredited with portfolio of experience and be transformed up to NQF level 6.

What makes her training different is the blend of online training combined with Madeleine’s personal individual sessions and coaching, including workshops, conferences, and team building to steer young individuals’ career paths.

Shaping the Future
The road to success has not been without its challenges. Moving to the South Coast during the Covid-19 pandemic marked the realisation of a childhood dream but came with its own struggles. “When I first moved to the South Coast, the community wasn’t exactly welcoming,” she recalls. “People told me to go back to Pretoria, that there was no place for me here.” But with a philosophy of “Never Give Up!” she lived her own mantra.

Her initial efforts in the South Coast focused on community outreach. Madeleine explains, “People were struggling; there was no work, finances, education, or hope for the future.” This experience drove her to reach out to her skills partners in Pretoria and push for the development of virtual training options. The result was a training card initiative valued at R4 million, designed for easy access to online courses. “You pick it up like you would buy airtime, scan it, and register for the courses online,” Madeleine says proudly. “We made it possible for people to access all those courses for just R150.” The initiative’s success extended beyond South Africa, with thousands of people benefiting from the affordable training. It also expanded into learnerships and apprenticeships, helping individuals gain recognised qualifications and secure job opportunities.

A Beacon of Hope
Madeleine’s perseverance has earned her several accolades, including the Brand Ambassador Influential Women of South Africa award brand for five consecutive years, Women of South Africa Award for business innovation in training and education, the International Commonwealth Award for Business Excellence and Women’s Leadership for making impact in SA with learning and development. “These accolades aren’t just about recognition,” she says. “They affirm that the work we’re doing is making an impact in communities and they open doors for further funding and expansion.” Madeleine is now nominated as finalist in Supreme Industry: Women Empowerment award. She entered the ‘Next Billionaire Show’ competition and is nominated as one of three finalists. “I believe this business can reach that status because of its ability to transform lives,” she declares. The company is also preparing to franchise, aiming to expand its reach.

Madeleine’s journey is a testament to lifelong learning and self-improvement. “I’m always studying, always adding to my skill set,” she says. “That’s what allows me to help others. When I help people build their skills, their success becomes my privilege and purpose.”

To young women, Madeleine’s advice is: “Always believe in your dream and never give up. Keep on learning and be authentically yourself. Don’t try to live someone else’s dream; let your dream shape who you become so you can be the person who achieves it.”

Despite her schedule, Madeleine remains committed to finding balance. “This year has been extremely busy, and I haven’t had much time for myself,” she admits. “But I plan to change that. I love the beach, reading, and walking in nature. I’m going to take time for exercise and even join some of the retreats I offer.”

As Madeleine continues to push the boundaries of what Skills4Africa can achieve, she remains focused. Changing lives, one person, one skill at a time, will always be her dream.