What EXA Global does

EXA Global is a Johannesburg-based private consulting firm that advises aspiring student athletes on gaining admission to top US universities through athletic recruitment pathways. The firm guides clients through NCAA eligibility requirements, athletic scholarship opportunities, US university admissions procedures, and related visa considerations. Its primary customer segment is South African students seeking to leverage sports performance for US higher education placements, with an operating footprint spanning South Africa and the United States.

The company delivers services through direct consulting engagements. Prospective clients engage via phone, a contact email, and a Google Forms-based inquiry process. EXA Global maintains a content marketing presence through an Articles section on its website featuring success stories, expert advice, and updates, which functions as a top-of-funnel awareness channel. The firm's contact email domain ([email protected]) suggests a likely affiliation with ESCA, though no formal parent-subsidiary or partnership relationship is documented in available sources.

EXA Global's revenue model appears to be fee-based advisory services, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Founded in 2016, the firm remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, institutional investors, or management team profiles in the public record. The minimal public footprint — a single website, limited disclosed team information, and no software or app products — is consistent with a boutique professional services operation. A firmographics header describes the company as a "VR Attractions Consultancy for FEC/ Theme park," which conflicts with the company's own website messaging ("Pathways to Top US Universities & Sports Organisations") and the detailed customer segment data; the pathway consultancy description is treated as authoritative based on first-party website content.

Name

EXA Global

Legal name

EXA Global

Website

https://exa-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

EXA Global is a Johannesburg-based private consulting firm advising aspiring South African student athletes on gaining admission to top US universities through athletic recruitment pathways, covering NCAA eligibility, scholarships, and the admissions process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Sports Recruitment Consulting

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Recruiting & Scholarship Advisory / Athlete Placement (HSADAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Athletic Recruitment & NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Counseling (EDANAEAM)

Keywords

• US university admissions consulting
• Student athlete placement
• Athletic scholarship advisory
• NCAA eligibility consulting
• International education consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

EXA Global provides personalised advisory and consulting services that help aspiring student athletes secure admission to top US universities and placements with sports organisations. The firm offers application guidance, athletic recruitment support, NCAA eligibility navigation, and visa assistance, delivered through direct, relationship-based consulting engagements rather than packaged software products.

Product overview

EXA Global offers advisory and consulting services focused on helping individuals secure pathways to top US universities and sports organisations. The company provides expertise, guidance, and success stories through articles and personalized advisory services. The offering appears to be a unified service rather than a software product platform with distinct modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• US University and Sports Organisation Pathway Advisory Personalised advisory and consulting service guiding aspiring student athletes through US university admissions, athletic recruitment, NCAA eligibility compliance, and visa assistance. Delivered as direct consulting engagements to individual students and families from the Johannesburg office.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• FieldLevel: A network-based college athletic recruiting platform connecting athletes and coaches. Directly comparable to EXA's recruitment-adjacent function, though FieldLevel operates as a digital marketplace rather than a high-touch advisory.
• BeRecruited: An online college athletic recruiting service providing athlete profiles, coach directories and recruitment tools. Comparable to EXA Global in serving aspiring college athletes through the recruitment process, but operating as a self-service web platform rather than a high-touch consultancy.
• CaptainU: A college athletic recruiting platform for student-athletes. Comparable to EXA Global in serving the same end-customer (aspiring US college athletes) and addressing the same process, but with a self-service SaaS model rather than personalised consulting.
• SportsRecruits: An online platform that helps high-school athletes manage the college recruiting process, including profile building and coach outreach. Comparable to EXA Global as a recruiting-enablement service, with overlap in target customers (aspiring college athletes) but a technology-led rather than advisory-led model.
• NCSA (Next College Student Athlete): The dominant US college athletic recruiting platform, connecting high-school athletes with college coaches. Directly comparable to EXA Global because both operate in the college-athletic-recruitment advisory space, though NCSA serves the US domestic market while EXA focuses on the South Africa–US corridor.

Broad incumbents

• IMG Academy: A global sports and education brand that combines athletic training with college placement and academic pathways. Comparable to EXA Global in that it bridges athletic development with US college outcomes, but at vastly larger scale and with a much broader multi-sport, multi-geography offering.

Regional players

• Keystone Sports: A UK-based sports agency and athlete placement firm operating across the UK, US and international markets. Comparable to EXA Global as a cross-border athletic advisory, though focused on UK rather than South African talent.

Others

• IECA (Independent Educational Consultants Association): The professional association for independent educational consultants. Adjacent comparable to EXA Global because member consultants frequently provide college admissions and athletic placement advisory, representing the broader ecosystem of practitioners EXA competes within and could join for credibility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EXA Global