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Data analytics training teaches your staff to collect, clean, analyse and report on data, so they can answer business questions with evidence rather than guesswork. BOTI is a South African corporate training institute that runs practical analytics and reporting training in Excel and Power BI, alongside our wider range of Microsoft Office and computer skills courses. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
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At your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue.
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This page is for HR and L&D leads, business owners and operations managers who want to build a data-literate workforce. It explains what data analytics training covers, how to choose the right programme for your team, and how to plan and fund the rollout.
What are data analytics courses?
Data analytics means using mathematical analysis and logical reasoning to draw knowledge from data. A data analytics course teaches professionals to collect data, analyse results and visualise findings. At more advanced levels it also covers predictive analytics.
It helps to distinguish two roles your business may need:
- Data analysts answer specific business questions using statistics, reporting and visualisation. This is the right starting point for most teams.
- Data scientists write their own queries and develop algorithms and models. This is a more specialised, advanced track.
For most South African organisations, the priority is better day-to-day data literacy across finance, operations, sales, marketing and HR teams. The aim is for people to build a clean report, read a dashboard and make a decision they can defend.
What does BOTI’s data analytics training cover?
Our programmes are modular, so we can match the course to your team’s current level and tools. The core course, Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI, runs over 3 days. Related courses cover the next steps. A typical learning path moves through the following modules:
| Module | What your team learns |
|---|---|
| Data foundations | How data is collected, structured and stored; data quality and cleaning |
| Spreadsheet analytics (Excel) | Formulas, PivotTables, lookups, charts and dashboards |
| Database querying (SQL) | Pulling and filtering data from business systems, covered in Getting Started with Microsoft SQL Server: SQL Querying |
| Business intelligence (Power BI) | Interactive dashboards and visual reporting |
| Statistical analysis | Descriptive statistics, trends and basic forecasting |
| Programming for analytics (Python) | Optional advanced track for automation, covered in Python Programming Training |
| Storytelling with data | Turning analysis into clear recommendations for decision-makers |
Tools we train on: Excel and Power BI are the core tools. SQL and Python are available as separate courses. We match the tool mix to what your business already uses, so new skills carry straight into daily work.
A note on outcomes: BOTI’s data analytics courses are practical, facilitator-led training designed for fast, targeted upskilling. Do you need an accredited result for skills-development reporting? BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and has applied for QCTO accreditation for its occupational skills programmes in end user computing, such as the Advanced End User Computing skills programme (SP-240203). This accredited computer route is pending the QCTO’s decision, and enrolment opens only once accreditation is confirmed. Ask BOTI to tell you when enrolment opens. Until then, BOTI’s non-accredited computer courses can be paired with the analytics training.
Data analytics training for business
Generic, student-oriented courses teach analytics in the abstract. Data analytics training for business is different: it starts from your decisions and your data. The goal is a team that can answer the questions your organisation actually asks.
Why invest in team-based data analytics training
- Better, faster decisions. Managers rely less on gut feel and more on the numbers.
- Less wasted effort. Staff who can clean data and automate reporting save hours every week.
- Consistency. A shared toolset and shared definitions mean everyone reports the same way.
- Retention and engagement. Investing in in-demand skills helps you keep good people.
In-house and online delivery for SA teams
BOTI delivers data analytics training in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. You can train a whole department at once, using your own data examples where appropriate. This keeps the learning directly relevant to your business.
Teams in Gauteng can attend at the Sunningdale venue. Live online sessions reach remote teams anywhere in South Africa, and in-house sessions are scheduled around your operational needs.
How to choose the right business programme
When comparing options, look past the syllabus and check the fit:
- Audience level: is the group starting from spreadsheets, or ready for SQL and BI tools?
- Tool alignment: does it train the tools your business already runs?
- Delivery: can it run in-house and be scheduled around your operations?
- Outcome: do you need an accredited skills programme for skills reporting, or fast practical upskilling?
- Planning fit: can it form part of your Workplace Skills Plan and skills-development spend?
Funding your data analytics training
Skills development is an investment you can plan. A few points worth knowing (general guidance, not financial or legal advice):
- The Skills Development Levy (SDL) is 1% of payroll[1], paid monthly to SARS. Your SETA pays back a mandatory grant of 20% of the levies you paid[2]. To qualify, you must submit your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) by 30 April[2], and your levy payments must be up to date. Unclaimed mandatory grant money moves to discretionary funding by 15 August[2].
- Discretionary grants are decided by each SETA and mainly target programmes that lead to qualifications or part-qualifications. Check your SETA’s current funding windows before you plan around them.
- Skills-development spend is also measured on the B-BBEE scorecard. How a specific course is recognised depends on the Codes, so confirm it with your verification agency.
- Training is most efficient when it is planned. A simple Training Needs Analysis (TNA) shows which teams need which analytics skills first.
BOTI can help you plan a data analytics rollout alongside your Workplace Skills Plan, so the training builds capability and supports your skills-development objectives.
Plan before you spend: ask BOTI to help you scope your team’s data-skills gaps with a Training Needs Analysis before you commit budget.
How do I become a data analyst (and how do you grow one internally)?
The traditional route is a degree. Entry-level analyst roles often ask for a degree in a quantitative field such as statistics, mathematics or economics, together with strong Excel and SQL skills. Advanced roles may ask for postgraduate study and fluency in at least one programming language.
For most South African employers, the more useful question is: how do I grow analytics capability inside my existing team? You rarely need to hire a unicorn. A capable accounts clerk who learns Excel, SQL and Power BI can often become your reporting analyst sooner than a new senior hire could be recruited and settled in. Structured, practical training lets you make that step on purpose rather than by luck.
Get started
Ready to build a data-literate team? Tell us about your tools, your team’s level and your skills-development plan, and we will recommend the right course or combination of courses.
- Build Excel analysis skills with Analysing Data with Excel (2 days)
- Go further with Excel Pivot Tables, Dashboards and Power Pivot (2 days)
- Learn dashboards and visual reporting in Microsoft Power BI Basics (3 days)
- Try a short introduction with Power BI Foundations: Build Your First Live Report (3-hour online masterclass)
- Request a quote or booking
Frequently asked questions
Is BOTI’s data analytics training accredited?
No. BOTI’s data analytics courses are practical, facilitator-led training, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. If you need an accredited result, BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and has applied for QCTO accreditation for skills programmes in end user computing. That accredited computer route is pending the QCTO’s decision, and enrolment opens only once accreditation is confirmed, so ask BOTI to tell you when enrolment opens. Until then, BOTI’s non-accredited computer courses can be paired with the analytics training.
What are the requirements for a data analytics course?
BOTI’s data analytics short courses are designed for working professionals rather than degree holders. What matters most is being comfortable on a computer and having basic Excel skills, such as entering data and writing simple formulas. Delegates who are new to Excel get more from the course if they complete an Excel beginners or intermediate course first.
Which tools do you cover: Excel, SQL or Power BI?
Excel and Power BI are the core tools. BOTI also runs separate courses in SQL querying and Python programming for teams that need to pull data from business systems or automate their analysis.
How long is data analytics training?
Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI runs over 3 days, and Analysing Data with Excel over 2 days. A shorter option is the 3-hour online Power BI Foundations masterclass. Courses can also be combined into a longer programme for your team.
Can you train our whole team in-house?
Yes. BOTI trains in-house at your premises, at its venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online, so a whole department can train together, using your own data examples where appropriate.
To give your team practical reporting and dashboard skills, book the Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI course. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Sources
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Mandatory Grants – Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA), 2026.