Free To Grow

What Free To Grow does

Free To Grow is a South African professional services firm founded in 1994 and headquartered in Somerset West, Western Cape, specializing in employee wellbeing, leadership development, and culture transformation. The company serves large enterprise clients through a portfolio of co-created, customized programs built around psychological capital (PsyCap) development, including branded offerings Staying Strong (wellbeing and resilience), WorkQ (engagement and culture alignment), EmpowHER/Basadi Bereka (women's empowerment), LEADConnect (hybrid-work leadership), Mosaic Short Sessions (bite-sized shop-floor learning), and Fit2Thrive (AGILE-framework inner agility). Programs are delivered through multiple modalities — face-to-face workshops, virtual sessions, train-the-trainer capacity building, and DIY toolkits — with a Pulse reporting tool for impact measurement. Customer logos span South African and African enterprises including Woolworths, Coca-Cola Beverages SA, RCL Foods, Tiger Brands, Unilever, Heineken, Capitec, Mediclinic, VKB Group, Sea Harvest, and PPECB, with the company claiming 1,553 organizations served and 166,416 individuals reached across 37 countries.

The business model is enterprise field sales-led professional services with quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed pricing. Free To Grow monetizes through customized L&D program delivery (professional services revenue), train-the-trainer capacity building engagements, and licensing of DIY toolkits such as the Staying Strong Toolkit. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise with no intermediary channels. The company employs approximately 65 people, operates a non-profit affiliate called the Free To Grow Foundation for CSI-funded community impact, and runs a multi-channel content marketing operation spanning a monthly Connecting Times newsletter, webinar series, e-books, and active social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Geographic footprint centers on South Africa with active representation in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, and Nigeria.

Name

Free To Grow

Legal name

Free To Grow

Website

https://freetogrow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Free To Grow is a South African professional services firm, founded in 1994, that designs and delivers co-created employee wellbeing, leadership development, and culture transformation programs to large enterprise clients across Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Learning and Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABAIAG

Workplace Culture, Engagement & Wellbeing Training

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/HR, Talent, DEI & People Operations Training

SECONDARYBPACANAA

Corporate & Leadership Development

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

SECONDARYEDABAOAL

Onboarding Program Design, Enablement & Train-the-Trainer

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Onboarding and New Hire Training

SECONDARYEDABANAJ

DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Executive Coaching Services

SECONDARYEDAAAKAI

Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Career Readiness & Employability Skills (Resume, Interview, Workplace Skills)

Keywords

• Employee wellbeing programs
• Leadership development training
• Corporate learning services
• Organizational culture transformation
• Workforce engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

South Africa

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Customized Learning & Development Programs: Co-created, bespoke learning experiences tailored to organizational needs and context. Programs span employee wellbeing, growth & development, and employee engagement, delivered through face-to-face workshops, virtual sessions, or hybrid formats.
2. Train-the-Trainer Programs: Capacity building programs where Free To Grow trains internal facilitators to deliver programs within their own organizations, enabling scalable implementation.
3. DIY Toolkits and Resource Licensing: Self-service toolkits and resources (e.g., Staying Strong Toolkit) sold or licensed to organizations for internal use, with free distribution to CSI partners.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Free To Grow designs and delivers co-created, customized learning and development programmes for enterprise clients spanning employee wellbeing, growth & development, and employee engagement. Core offerings include Staying Strong (resilience and wellbeing), WorkQ (culture transformation and engagement), EmpowHER/Basadi Bereka (women's leadership), Mosaic Short Sessions (bite-sized learning), and LEADConnect (hybrid leadership). Delivery modalities include face-to-face facilitation, virtual sessions, train-the-trainer models, and DIY toolkits.

Product overview

Free To Grow is a consulting and training organisation offering a modular portfolio of human capital development programmes focused on employee wellbeing, growth and development, and employee engagement. The core offerings include Staying Strong (wellbeing and resilience), WorkQ (engagement and culture transformation), EmpowHER (women's leadership development), Mosaic Short Sessions (bite-sized learning), and LEADConnect (hybrid leadership development). These are delivered through flexible implementation options including face-to-face facilitation, virtual sessions, train-the-trainer models, and DIY toolkits. Supporting resources include the Connecting Times monthly newsletter, Appreciation Cards, and the Free To Grow Foundation for community outreach. Solutions are co-created and customised for each client's needs and context, with an African footprint spanning multiple countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorkQ: An employee engagement programme that makes people believe in themselves again, unlocks growth potential, and creates alignment towards a common future.
• EmpowHER
• Staying Strong
• Mosaic Short Sessions
• LEADConnect
• Connecting Times

Products and services

• Staying Strong Employee wellbeing and resilience building programme focused on enhancing Psychological Capital (hope, optimism, resilience, self-efficacy) for enterprise teams. Designed to help leaders and staff persevere during tough times and strengthen emotional roots to serve and support themselves and others.
• WorkQ Employee engagement and culture transformation programme that creates alignment towards a common future, enables achievement of results, and dissolves tension between management and employees. Helps people believe in themselves again, unlocking growth potential and contribution.
• EmpowHER (Basadi Bereka) Women's empowerment and leadership development programme that equips women to successfully transition from leading self to leading others, including mentorship and role model components to address the 'broken rung' at entry-level leadership.
• Mosaic Short Sessions Bite-sized, targeted empowerment sessions delivered on-site, designed for entry and shop-floor level employees, focusing on creating circles of trust and awakening potential.
• LEADConnect Leadership development programme designed specifically to equip leaders with skills and tools to lead in hybrid work environments.
• Fit2Thrive Program leveraging the AGILE framework (Awareness, Growth Mindset, Initiative, Leadership, Enterprise Thinking) to build inner agility that technology cannot replicate.
• Staying Strong Toolkit DIY toolkit for building resilience, optimism, and ownership. Distributed to organizations for internal use and free to CSI partners for community upliftment.
• Free To Grow Foundation Non-profit entity aimed at partnering with organizations to provide meaningful ways to optimise CSI spending, strengthening psychological and social capital in marginalized communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Woolworths reported unexpected positive consequences extending far beyond initial expectations from the Staying Strong programme
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MathMomscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Long-standing relationship rooted in shared commitment to empowering women and strengthening communities. Free To Grow gifted MathMoms and Mentors with resources to enable and empower them to continue creating a solid foundation for learners in need. Collaboration focuses on providing resilience skills to women who assist maths teachers in the classroom.
• Cipla FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership supporting the Sha'p Left initiative which provides infrastructure for dignified medication collection. Free To Grow delivers Staying Strong programme promoting wellbeing and resilience for Cipla Foundation staff, demonstrating commitment to employee health and happiness.
• Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NPO committed to empowering youth through education, health, wellbeing, and skills development. In honour of Nelson Mandela Day 2021, Free To Grow made Staying Strong Toolkit available to PACT interns and volunteers. Alinda Nortje has symbolic connection to Prince Albert as her paternal grandparents' hometown.
• Thatha Ithuba FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Foundation focused on improving futures for disadvantaged South African youth. Free To Grow facilitated an Assertiveness workshop for students at Houw Hoek Hotel as part of ongoing partnership to make meaningful difference in youth futures.
• EverGrow FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Non-profit organization known for social upliftment programmes in wine growing communities. Free To Grow offered Staying Strong toolkit free of charge to EverGrow's Aware Ambassadors who work in rural Western Cape communities addressing alcohol harm reduction. Organizations share common focus on growth and development.
• Life ChoicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall but impactful NPO in Cape Flats community offering health, education, and welfare programmes. Following pandemic year when learners struggled emotionally, Free To Grow partnered with Rotary Club of Claremont to help Life Choices youth build resilience through Staying Strong toolkit.
• Resonance AdvisoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree To Grow collaborated with Humsha Ramgobin from Resonance Advisory to curate 'AI Anxiety to AI Agency' post-webinar resource pack exploring the human side of digital transformation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte (Human Capital practice): Big Four advisory with a sizeable human capital and learning & development practice. Competes for the same enterprise culture transformation and leadership development wallets.
• Skillsoft: Enterprise learning and talent development platform offering curated content, leadership programmes, and AI-driven coaching. Broad incumbent alternative for corporate L&D buyers considering Free To Grow.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with significant leadership development, talent, and culture transformation practices. Larger incumbent competing for the same enterprise L&D and engagement mandates Free To Grow serves.

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning Worldwide: Global learning and development provider specialising in leadership, sales, and employee engagement programmes. Comparable customisable, multi-modal delivery model and enterprise client base.
• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Long-standing corporate training and professional development firm focused on leadership, presentation, and people skills. Direct peer to Free To Grow's leadership and engagement portfolios for enterprise buyers.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Management training and leadership development company built around Blanchard's situational leadership methodologies. Operates in the same enterprise L&D space as Free To Grow's LEADConnect and WorkQ programmes.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and performance training firm offering programmes such as 'The 7 Habits' and leadership development content. Comparable to Free To Grow in delivering structured corporate L&D and behaviour-change programmes to large enterprises.

Emerging players

• BetterUp: AI-augmented coaching and wellbeing platform serving enterprise customers. Overlaps with Free To Grow's wellbeing and leadership development focus, particularly through digital/virtual delivery models.

Regional players

• Growth Tribe: Africa- and Europe-based learning provider focused on digital, leadership, and future-of-work skills. Regional peer with overlap in leadership and people development content for African enterprises.
• SA Business School (University of Stellenbosch Executive Development): South African executive education and leadership development provider. Operates in the same geography and partially overlaps with Free To Grow's leadership and management development offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbDxXENmCe428PcNyCDrQBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/freetogrow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/free-to-grow
• Instagraminstagram.com/freetogrowsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Free To Grow