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A prompt course (also called a prompt writing or prompt engineering course) teaches your staff to brief AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini clearly enough to get accurate, usable results the first time, instead of vague answers they have to redo by hand. BOTI runs this as a practical one-day programme for business teams, and you can see the related options in our Artificial Intelligence and Copilot training courses. For South African organisations already paying for AI licences, this is the skill that turns a subscription into real productivity.
Courses on this topic at BOTI today
- Prompt Engineering Essentials (1 day)
- ChatGPT for Business (1 day)
- AI at Work: ChatGPT and Copilot for Everyday Tasks (3-hour online masterclass)
At your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue.
See all Artificial Intelligence and Copilot coursesGet a quote for your teamLearning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
If you are an HR or L&D lead, business owner or department manager watching staff use AI inconsistently, this article covers what a prompt writing course teaches, who it suits, how it is delivered, and how the spend fits into your staff development planning.
The business problem: your team has AI access but not AI skill
Many South African organisations now have AI tools in the building: licences are paid for and the tools are open on screens. What is missing is consistency. One person writes a sharp brief and gets a usable draft in seconds. The next types a half-sentence, gets a wrong answer, and quietly decides “AI doesn’t really work for us.”
That gap is not about the tool. It is about how staff brief the tool. Prompt writing (often called prompt engineering) is the practical skill of giving an AI model clear instructions, context, format and constraints so the output is accurate and ready to use. Without it, three things happen:
- Wasted time. Staff re-prompt, edit weak output, or do the task by hand anyway.
- Risk. Poorly framed prompts produce confident but wrong answers or off-brand tone, and careless prompting can expose sensitive information.
- Uneven adoption. A few power users pull ahead while the rest get little return on the licences you pay for.
A short, structured prompt writing course closes that gap. Because the skill transfers across email, reports, customer responses and analysis, the gain spreads across the whole team.
Who this course is for
This is corporate training for organisations developing their own staff, although individuals are welcome to attend. It suits:
- HR and L&D managers rolling out AI capability across departments to a consistent standard.
- Business owners and MDs of SMEs who have bought AI subscriptions and want a real return on them.
- Department and operations managers whose teams use AI ad hoc and need a reliable, repeatable method.
- Knowledge and back-office teams that write, summarise, research or analyse, where good prompting saves the most time.
No technical or coding background is required. The course is built for everyday business users, not developers, and works whether your team uses ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini or a mix.
What the prompt writing course covers
The programme is hands-on: participants write and refine real prompts against their own tasks. A typical outline:
| Module | What your team learns |
|---|---|
| 1. How AI models work | A plain-language model of what AI can and cannot do, and why prompts matter. |
| 2. Anatomy of a strong prompt | Role, context, task, format and constraints: the repeatable structure behind reliable output. |
| 3. Prompting for business tasks | Emails, reports, proposals, summaries and customer responses. |
| 4. Refining and iterating | Steering the AI to a usable result instead of starting over. |
| 5. Tone, brand and accuracy | Keeping output on-brand, fact-checking and spotting AI “hallucinations”. |
| 6. Reusable prompt templates | Building a shared prompt library your team can standardise on. |
| 7. Responsible and safe use | Data privacy, POPIA-aware habits, and what never to paste into a public AI tool. |
| 8. Tool-specific tips | Practical guidance for ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini at work. |
Outlines are tailored to your tools, sector and tasks. A marketing team and a finance team leave with very different prompt libraries. For a quick preview of the method, read our guide on how to write AI prompts that work.
Want this scoped to your team’s tools and tasks? Phone 011 882 8853 or use the BOTI booking page to request a quote. You can also ask BOTI to help you build a starter prompt framework for your team’s most common tasks.
Why prompt writing is the highest-leverage AI skill to train first
Of all the AI capabilities a business can build, prompt writing gives the fastest and broadest return:
- It works with any tool. The method applies across the major AI tools, so it still holds whichever platform you standardise on.
- It transfers everywhere. The same skill improves email, reports, analysis and customer communication.
- It reduces the risk of AI use. Staff learn to check output and protect sensitive data, which lowers the chance of wrong content going out.
- It is quick to deliver. A focused one-day programme equips a team, and it is the natural first step before broader AI tools training such as ChatGPT for Business. If you need a shorter session, the 3-hour AI at Work: ChatGPT and Copilot for Everyday Tasks online masterclass is an option.
Delivery formats
You choose the format that fits your team:
- In-house / on-site at your premises. This is usually the most cost-effective option for a group, and it is built around your tools and real work.
- At BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, for teams that prefer to train away from daily interruptions.
- Live online, instructor-led. This suits distributed teams: there is no travel and the session stays fully interactive.
In-house and online delivery mean head office and branch teams can reach the same standard.
Accreditation
Prompt writing is a new and fast-moving skill, and BOTI does not offer an accredited qualification in it. It is delivered as a practical, facilitator-led programme. Attendance is recorded clearly, so you can report the training in your Annual Training Report (ATR) as staff development.
For related digital skills, BOTI runs non-accredited Microsoft Office training. BOTI has also applied to the QCTO for accreditation of the End User Computing skills programmes, starting with Basic End User Computing (SP-240201). Enrolment opens only once the QCTO confirms accreditation, and you can register your interest now.
Funding: it counts as staff development
A prompt writing course is staff training, so the spend fits into your skills development planning. As general guidance only:
- The Skills Development Levy (SDL) is 1% of the leviable amount (total remuneration). Employers whose leviable amount over the next 12 months will not exceed R500,000 are exempt[1].
- Training delivered to your staff, including AI and digital skills, belongs in your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR).
- The SETA mandatory grant pays back 20% of levies paid when the WSP/ATR is submitted by 30 April and levies are up to date[2].
- Under the amended B-BBEE Codes, the skills development target is measured against the leviable amount, not total payroll. The overall target is 6%: 3.5% on learning programmes for black people and 2.5% on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions[3]. Sector codes may differ. Planned, documented team training can therefore be part of your skills development spend.
Where skills development supports tender readiness, note the following:
- Public procurement still runs under the PFMA, the MFMA, the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) and the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022. These regulations allow organs of state to score “specific goals” rather than relying only on a B-BBEE level.
- The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 never came into force. The Constitutional Court declared it invalid on 17 September 2026[4], and Parliament may pass a new procurement law.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Confirm the specifics with your SETA, SDF or B-BBEE verifier.
Why BOTI
BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, with 450 courses and a client base that includes Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg. We deliver practical training for whole teams, tailored to your tools and tasks, in-house, at our venue or online. For a new skill like prompt writing, that practical focus matters most: your team leaves able to do the work, not just talk about it.
Related BOTI training:
- The full BOTI course range: management, sales, finance, HR, admin and technical training.
- Microsoft Office training: the digital skills that make tools like Copilot pay off.
- Communication skills training: the clear-writing foundation good prompting builds on.
- Time management training: to turn the hours AI saves into real productivity.
- In-house and on-site training: group delivery with clear attendance records.
Frequently asked questions
What is a prompt course?
A prompt course is practical training that teaches staff to instruct AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini clearly enough to get accurate, on-brand results. Participants learn the structure of a strong prompt (role, context, task, format and constraints) and apply it to real tasks such as emails, reports and customer responses.
Do our staff need a technical or coding background?
No. The course is designed for everyday business users in marketing, sales, finance, HR, admin and operations, not developers. It focuses on writing clear instructions in plain language, so anyone who uses email and documents can follow it.
Which AI tools does the course cover?
The core method works across the major AI tools. BOTI tailors practical tips to whichever tools you use, most commonly ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot or Gemini, and can focus on a single tool or a mix.
Can the prompt writing course be delivered at our offices or online?
Yes. BOTI delivers in-house at your premises, at its venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or through live online instructor-led sessions. In-house group delivery is usually the most cost-effective option.
Does prompt writing training count toward our skills development spend?
Training delivered to your staff can be recorded in your Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report, and it can form part of your B-BBEE skills development spend. Grants and scorecard recognition depend on your SETA’s rules and your verifier, so confirm the specifics with your SETA, SDF or B-BBEE verifier.
Request a quote
Turn the AI licences you already pay for into consistent productivity. Request a quote and a BOTI consultant will scope a prompt writing course around your team’s tools and tasks.
The course this article describes is Prompt Engineering Essentials, a one-day programme. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected]. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. 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.
- Codes of Good Practice on B-BBEE: Code Series 300, Statement 300 – Skills Development (Government Gazette 42496) – Department of Trade and Industry, 31 May 2019.
- Godongwana notes Constitutional Court judgment on Public Procurement Act – SAnews (South African Government News Agency), 18 September 2026.