Soft skills training builds the communication, teamwork, problem-solving and emotional intelligence that make technical skills pay off at work. BOTI’s practical, facilitator-led one-day 10 Soft Skills You Need course gives South African teams ten practical, immediately usable skills. Available in-house or off-site nationwide. Request a quote on 011-882-8853.

If your people are technically capable but collaboration, accountability or client interactions keep falling short, the gap is almost always soft skills. This course closes that gap fast, in a single focused day, for staff at any level and in any industry.

Course Overview

The 10 Soft Skills You Need Course is a one-day self-enrichment programme that develops the personal competencies every employee brings into the workplace. Participants finish the day able to define what soft skills are, explain why they matter on the job, and apply ten of them straight away to communicate better, work in teams more effectively, and lift overall productivity.

Soft skills are not industry-specific. Whatever the role, office or sector, the ability to communicate clearly, manage time, solve problems and stay adaptable underpins performance. That is why this course suits anyone and everyone in any working environment.

Full Course Outline

The curriculum runs across twelve structured modules in a single day:

1. Introduction & workshop objectives
2. Defining soft skills – empathy, emotional intelligence, professionalism, key traits, case study
3. Communication – verbal and non-verbal communication, listening, openness, honesty
4. Teamwork – identifying capabilities, understanding the whole process, team flow
5. Problem solving – defining problems, generating solutions, evaluating and implementing plans
6. Time management – scheduling, prioritising, managing distractions, the multitasking myth
7. Attitude & work ethic – goal-setting, building trust, self-care
8. Adaptability & flexibility – managing change in both processes and people
9. Self-confidence – confidence traits, a self-assessment questionnaire, building tactics
10. Ability to learn – accepting non-perfection, open-mindedness, analytical thinking
11. Networking – redefining needs, reaching out, managing relationships
12. Post-workshop overview

Course Details at a Glance

Per-delegate rates drop sharply as you add team members, so booking a full team or department delivers the best value. For in-house delivery to a larger group, request a tailored quote.

Who Should Attend

This is a self-enrichment course intended for anyone. It works equally well for:

• New hires and graduates building workplace fundamentals
• Frontline and customer-facing staff who need stronger communication and EQ
• Technical specialists whose collaboration and influence let them down
• Teams or whole departments standardising how they communicate and work together

Why Choose BOTI for Soft Skills Training

• Practical, facilitator-led training – a hands-on skills programme; delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion (this is not an accredited qualification).
• Flexible delivery – on-site at your offices, off-site, or remote, in JHB, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and beyond.
• Trusted by leading SA employers – BOTI works with organisations including Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg across a catalogue of 450 courses.
• Practical, one-day format – minimal time off the floor, maximum applicable skill.

Need accredited training? Ask about BOTI’s QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes in areas such as Generic Management and Business Administration.

Soft Skills & L&D Strategy for SA Employers

Soft skills training is most powerful when it sits inside a deliberate learning-and-development strategy rather than being a once-off intervention. For HR and L&D buyers, the question is not only “what does this course teach?” but “how does it move our people, our culture and our compliance forward?”

Building a Soft Skills Competency Framework

Treat the ten skills in this course as a baseline competency set every employee should hold. Map them against your roles:

• All staff: communication, teamwork, time management, work ethic
• Client-facing roles: add empathy, emotional intelligence, networking
• Emerging leaders: add problem solving, adaptability, self-confidence

A simple competency map turns a single training day into a repeatable standard you can recruit, onboard and appraise against.

Linking Soft Skills to Business Outcomes

Position soft skills against the outcomes your executives care about: fewer escalations, faster problem resolution, lower conflict-related turnover, stronger client retention. Use the self-confidence questionnaire and problem-solving module as pre- and post-measures so you can show movement, not just attendance.

Funding and Skills-Development Alignment

Soft skills development can support your broader skills-development planning. Under B-BBEE, the skills-development element targets spend equivalent to 6% of the leviable amount (separate from the Skills Development Levy, which is 1% of payroll). This is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme rather than an accredited qualification, so it is best positioned as developmental skills spend; if you need accredited learning for your Workplace Skills Plan, ask us about BOTI’s QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes and how to position structured training within your annual plan. (This is general guidance, not financial or legal advice; confirm specifics with your SETA and B-BBEE verification agency.)

Sequencing the Learning Journey

Use this one-day course as the entry point, then build depth where it counts:

• Start with 10 Soft Skills You Need as the shared foundation.
• Deepen specific skills with focused courses in communication strategies, time management and advanced interpersonal skills.
• Progress high-potentials into business communication and presentation skills.

This staged approach keeps spend efficient while creating a visible development pathway your people can see and HR can report on.

Delivery Models That Fit SA Workplaces

In-house delivery is usually the strongest L&D choice for soft skills: cohorts learn together, scenarios are drawn from your real workplace, and the team leaves with a shared language. For distributed teams, remote delivery keeps everyone aligned without travel cost. Mixing on-site and remote across JHB, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria lets you roll the same standard out group by group.

Related BOTI Courses

Explore the full Soft Skills course range, or pair this course with:

• Communication Strategies Course
• Time Management Skills Training Course
• Advanced Interpersonal Skills Training
• Master Business Communication & Presentation Skills

Ready to Upskill Your Team?

Request a quote or book a free 15-minute callback to plan your soft skills rollout. Call 011-882-8853 or request a quote online. Ask for our free Soft Skills Competency Checklist — a one-page tool to map the ten skills against your roles before you train.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the soft skills training course?

The 10 Soft Skills You Need course runs for one full day. It covers twelve modules, from defining soft skills through communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management, adaptability, self-confidence, learning ability and networking.

Is BOTI’s soft skills training accredited?

No. This is a practical, facilitator-led skills programme and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of completion — it is not an accredited qualification. If you need accredited learning, ask us about BOTI’s QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes in related areas such as Generic Management and Business Administration.

How much does soft skills training cost in South Africa?

Can the training be delivered at our offices?

Yes. BOTI delivers in-house at your premises, off-site, or remotely, across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and nationwide — ideal for training a whole team or department in one cohort.

Who should attend soft skills training?

The course suits anyone in any role or industry — from new hires and frontline staff to technical specialists and emerging leaders. HR and L&D teams often use it as a shared foundation before deeper, role-specific development.

How do soft skills support our L&D and B-BBEE goals?

Soft skills training can form part of your skills-development strategy. The B-BBEE skills-development element targets 6% of the leviable amount. This course is a facilitator-led skills programme (not an accredited qualification); if your Workplace Skills Plan needs accredited learning, speak to BOTI about its QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes and positioning structured training within a funded plan (general guidance only — confirm with your SETA).