Awards and recognition
Recognised for more than twenty five years
SkillsTrain Distribution and its founder Linda Botha have been recognised by award bodies across South Africa, Africa and further afield. Here is the full record, grouped by the kind of recognition and labelled honestly.
Recognition highlights
The awards where we hold the official seal
Two independently judged national finalist seals lead, followed by four international recognition wins. Each caption matches the wording on the seal itself.
A note on how we label these. The two national finalist seals, from the Standard Bank Top Women Awards and the National Business Awards, are independently judged, entered competitions. The four winner seals are international business media recognition awards. SkillsTrain genuinely won each, and we present them as media recognition rather than juried competition, so you can weigh them accordingly.
The full honour roll
Every recognition on record
Grouped by the kind of award and listed most recent first.
Nationally recognised and juried14
The competitive, entered awards judged by an independent panel. These are the most rigorous, so we lead with them. Linda Botha reached the finalist stage in each of these, across more than twenty five years.
- 2025Top Women Entrepreneur of the YearStandard Bank Top Women AwardsFinalist
- 2023Skills Training and Education AwardAfrican Business AwardsFinalist
- 2021Top Women in Tech AwardStandard Bank Top Women AwardsFinalist
- 2020Fast Growth Women-owned SMMEStandard Bank Top Women AwardsFinalist
- 2019Fast Growth Business of the YearNational Business AwardsFinalist
- 2018Fast Growth AwardNational Business AwardsFinalist
- 2017Top Performing Business Leader of the YearNational Business AwardsFinalist
- 2017Top Performing CompanyTopco AwardsFinalist
- 2014Fast Growth Women-owned SMMEStandard Bank Top Women AwardsFinalist
- 2013Top Gender Empowerment AwardStandard Bank Top Women AwardsFinalist
- 2012Fast Growth SMMENational Business AwardsFinalist
- 2012Top Performing Entrepreneur of the YearNational Business AwardsNominee
- 2012Small and Medium Internet Business of the YearNational Business AwardsNominee
- 1996Outstanding Entrepreneurial Spirit, Developing and Impact ConsultantsErnst and YoungFinalist
International recognition12
Recognition and listing awards from international business media groups. SkillsTrain was recognised as a category leader in each. We present these as media recognition rather than juried competition, so you can weigh them accordingly.
- 2026Best VR-Focused Fire & Rescue Training SpecialistsMEA Markets African Excellence AwardsWinner
- 2024Best Niche Online Learning Provider, South AfricaGlobal Business AwardsWinner
- 2024Health and Safety AwardCorporate VisionWinner
- 2022Best EMS and Fire Safety Training ProviderM and A Today Global AwardsWinner
- 2022Most Trusted EMS and Fire Safety Training ProviderMEA African Excellence AwardsWinner
- 2022Leading Niche Online Learning Provider, South AfricaGlobal Excellence AwardsWinner
- 2021Best Niche Market Learning Resources Supplier, AfricaMEA Business AwardsWinner
- 2021Best EMS and Fire Safety Training ProviderMEA Business AwardsWinner
- 2021Best Emergency Services Training and Resource ProviderGlobal Business Awards, Corp TodayWinner
- 2021Innovation Award for VR Training SolutionsMEA MarketsWinner
- 2021 to 2022eLearning Provider of the YearCorporateLiveWire SA Prestige AwardsWinner
- 2020Best Emergency Services Training and Resource ProviderMEA African Excellence AwardsWinner
Awards judge and sponsor3
Industry leadership roles, not competitive entries. Linda is invited to judge and to back other people's awards, which is its own kind of recognition.
- 2025Achievement Alley Business Excellence AwardsLinda Botha served as an awards judge and sponsored the event at the NH Hotel Sandton, with a donation to the Johannesburg Children's Home.Judge and sponsor
- 2024Achievement Alley Summit AwardsSat on the judging panel and hosted an exhibitor stand at the summit.Judge and exhibitor
- 2023African Business Awards, Aveng MediaSponsored the gala dinner on 17 August 2023 at the Maslow Hotel, Sandton.Gala sponsor
Why this matters to you
A useful signal, not the point
Awards are not the point, but they are a useful signal. They tell you SkillsTrain has been doing this long enough, and well enough, to be trusted with the systems your teams train on, from a business that is 100% women owned. Read more about SkillsTrain.
Let us help you choose
Tell us what you are trying to train
SkillsTrain supplies the VR systems, online courses and books behind Fire Fighter, EMS and safety training across Southern Africa. Tell us what you are trying to train and we will point you to the right resource.
SkillsTrain distributes, supplies and supports these systems, courses and books across Southern Africa. We do not deliver or accredit the training itself, which sits with the accredited organisations that use them.