Health Promoters International

What Health Promoters International does

Health Promoters International is a non-profit Trust (incorporated as IT 431/2011) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, South Africa, with a secondary foundation office in Oostvoorne, the Netherlands. Its core mission is the delivery of free community-based health education to populations in underserved South African townships, where it maintains an active presence in six townships. Since inception the organization reports reaching more than 81,000 beneficiaries through a model built on trained community health promoters who deliver education at the household and neighborhood level. Programs have been extended beyond South Africa into Lesotho and a franchise arrangement in Suriname, signaling cross-border replication of the model.

The organization's product surface comprises (i) in-person community health education sessions delivered by trained promoters, (ii) a mobile application used to extend health education content to township beneficiaries, and (iii) HP Academy, a social enterprise arm currently under development that will offer University of the Western Cape (UWC)-accredited training qualifications at Mental Health Level 5 and Health Promotion Officer Level 3. The Academy is positioned as a credentialing pathway that converts field experience into nationally recognized qualifications, and is intended to introduce a revenue-generating complement to the organization's donation-funded model.

The entity operates as a registered Trust with all direct services provided free of charge to beneficiaries; it has no commercial revenue and is funded through donations, grants, and institutional partnerships. Endorsements include a 2016 Obama Foundation citation, 2019 United Nations affiliation, and a 2020 UNESCO partnership, which collectively support fundraising and programmatic credibility. The Dutch foundation office functions as a European fundraising and partnership channel. The organization is small, with approximately 8 employees, and is led by CEO George Arrey following the 2020 death of co-founder Harold Robles.

Name

Health Promoters International

Legal name

Health Promotion South Africa Trust

Website

https://healthpromotersinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Health Promoters International is a South African non-profit Trust that delivers free community-based health education in six townships, reaching over 81,000 people since 2005, and is developing HP Academy, a UWC-accredited training social enterprise, with programs extended to Lesotho and Suriname.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Education Services

NAICS

Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG), Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAH), Communicable Disease Prevention & Control (HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, NTDs) (BPADAIAA)

Keywords

• Community health education
• Preventive health training
• Public health workshops
• Township health programs
• Non-profit healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Kayamandi

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Reliance on donations and support from partners. Over the past years, the foundation has relied entirely on donations for funding.
2. HP Academy (Social Enterprise): Developing HP Academy as a social enterprise to generate revenue through accredited educational programs. Mental Health Level 5 and Health Promotion Officer Level 3 courses planned. Revenue will directly support the foundation and healthcare projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Health Promoters International is a non-profit trust that provides free preventive health education to economically disadvantaged communities in South African townships, Lesotho and Suriname. Its flagship Basic Health Education (BHE) course spans 12 compulsory modules (e.g., Hygiene, Healthy Eating, Heart, Lungs) delivered through Health Information Centres by trained community-based Health Promoters who reside in the communities they serve. Supplementary offerings include the GrowStronger! women's psycho-social programme, Educational Theater productions (Water4Life), the Health Promoters mobile app, and the developing HP Academy social enterprise offering accredited Mental Health Level 5 and Health Promotion Officer Level 3 courses.

Product overview

Health Promoters International operates as a non-profit organization providing health education services primarily in South African townships. The core offering is the Basic Health Education (BHE) course - a 12-module programme teaching hygiene, healthy lifestyles and disease prevention. Supporting programmes include GrowStronger! for women's empowerment and Health Promoters App for participant communication. The organization is developing HP Academy as a new social enterprise arm offering accredited courses (Mental Health Level 5, Health Promotion Officer Level 3) in partnership with University of the Western Cape, with revenues intended to support the foundation's mission. Physical services are delivered through Health Information Centres in townships, supplemented by Educational Theater productions for awareness campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HP Academy: A social enterprise focused on developing and delivering high-quality education in mental and physical health. First programme is Mental Health Level 5, with Health Promotion Officer Level 3 also under development.

Products and services

• Basic Health Education (BHE) A foundational 12-module preventive health education course running 8–10 sessions of 3 hours each, covering hygiene, healthy lifestyles, and chronic and infectious disease prevention. Designed for adults and children in previously disadvantaged South African townships; participants receive a Certificate of Attendance upon completion, and the course is offered free of charge at Health Information Centres.
• GrowStronger! Women's Upliftment Programme A psycho-social programme with 10 weekly sessions aimed at helping vulnerable women grow in maturity, self-care and self-respect, addressing issues including anger management, abuse prevention and personal development. Delivered to women in Khayelitsha, Macassar, Mfuleni and Mitchell's Plain and offered free of charge.
• HP Academy Social-enterprise arm developing and delivering accredited education programmes in mental and physical health. The first officially accredited course is Mental Health Level 5 (developed by Dr. Marcus Teunissen), with Health Promotion Officer Level 3 also under development; revenues directly support the foundation's healthcare projects in South African townships.
• Mental Health Level 5 (HP Academy course) The first accredited course offered under HP Academy, covering mental health at Level 5 standard; designed in collaboration with the University of the Western Cape to provide a credentialed pathway for healthcare and community practitioners.
• Health Promotion Officer Level 3 (HP Academy course) An HP Academy training programme that equips individuals to take an active role in health education, prevention and awareness within their own communities; developed in collaboration with Dr. Sahar Abdul-Rasool, Dr. Bridget Langa and Professor Honjiswa Conana.
• Health Promoters App Mobile application available on the Apple App Store that enables Health Promoters International to stay in touch with clients, send workshop notifications and distribute health alerts to participants across its township programmes.
• Educational Theater (Water4Life) Awareness programme using theatre productions (including the Water4Life performance) to emphasise the importance of clean water, sanitation and hygiene, combining music, dance and humour to promote behavioural change.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 81,000 people reached since inception in 2005
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of the Western Cape (UWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2025, working closely with UWC for accreditation of HP Academy programs. Mental Health Level 5 program under accreditation. Partnership for research on impact measurement in target communities. Collaboration to strengthen healthcare training opportunities in townships.
• UNESCO Chair Global Health & EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established December 2020. Global organization partnered with Health Promotion South Africa Trust for health education initiatives. Co-founder Harold Robles made initial contact.
• World WaternetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLetter of intent signed November 2018. Partnership for health and hygiene awareness in relation to drinking water, sanitation, and wastewater treatment. World Waternet provides advice, coaching and training to public water organizations.
• Mothers2MothersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership signed early 2020, renewed December 2021. M2M assists with writing grants and searching for funding for Health Promoters projects.
• Promentis HealthcaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established September 2019. Collaboration to introduce mental health and addiction education in South African townships. Developed specific educational program on addiction for senior health promoters.
• Nijhuis IndustriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in Water4Life educational theater production. Collaborated on 'Water and Health' guide supporting Health Promoters mission.
• African WinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration through African Wines supporting Health Promoters projects. Visiting and documenting projects in townships.
• Powerchild CampusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Health Information Centre in Khayelitsha township. Provides venue for health education workshops.
• Baphumelele Childcare CentremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Health Information Centre. Long-standing partnership with organization.
• Paul Roos GymnasiumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation initiated 2023. Partnership for community engagement and health education awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Amref Health Africa: Largest Africa-based international health NGO, training community health workers and delivering health education across the continent. Comparable community-led health promotion model in Sub-Saharan Africa, though at materially larger scale.
• PATH: Global health non-profit that advances health equity through community-level health education, vaccination and disease prevention programmes. Comparable mission in community health promotion and prevention in low- and middle-income countries.
• BRAC: One of the world's largest development NGOs operating community health and education programmes across Africa and Asia. Comparable in training community-based health promoters to deliver preventive education, but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Partners In Health: Large global health non-profit focused on delivering healthcare and community health worker programmes in low-resource settings. Comparable mission (community health workers delivering preventive health education in disadvantaged communities) but at significantly greater scale and scope.
• CARE: Major international humanitarian non-profit running community health and women's empowerment programmes globally. Comparable women's-health and community-education programming (similar to GrowStronger!) and global-affiliation profile.

Regional players

• Riders for Health: Africa-focused social enterprise improving health outcomes by ensuring reliable transport for community health workers. Adjacent rather than direct — comparable NGO-plus-social-enterprise hybrid model addressing health-system delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Direct peers

• Grassroot Soccer: Non-profit that leverages the popularity of sport to deliver adolescent health education (HIV, sexual and reproductive health) in African communities. Comparable in using engaging, community-anchored interactive education for disease prevention in disadvantaged populations.
• Last Mile Health: Non-profit that recruits, trains and equips community health workers to deliver primary care and health education in remote African communities. Directly comparable community-health-worker-led delivery model targeting disease prevention and health promotion.
• Living Goods: Non-profit (with social-enterprise arm) that supports community health workers delivering health education, diagnosis and treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable model combining NGO mission with social-enterprise sustainability — closely aligned with HPI's HP Academy direction.
• mothers2mothers: Africa-based non-profit that employs and trains community health workers (Mentor Mothers) to deliver health education and services to families affected by HIV. Directly comparable as a community-led health-education NGO in South Africa with which HPI already has a grant-writing partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HealthPromoters
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHealthPromoters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-promoters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Health Promoters International