The Earniverse

Dene Botha

14 posts

Co-founder of Earniversity and CEO at Empowered Youth Academy LTD, Dene is a self-taught entrepreneur and youth-skills specialist, who has dedicated the past 21 years of his life training young people on essential life-skills that bridge the gap between teenager/adolescent and adulthood. Also known for being a TV presenter, radio personality, international speaker, university lecturer, author, and award winning entrepreneur, Dene has a confident approach to life and business and has an extremely passion demeanour – His excitement is clearly demonstrated when providing insight on all things "youth" related. He's the mind behind the well-known youth brands like Young Mavericks Academy, Inspired Youth, Ready.Set.Success!, Pride Factor, and Streets to Success, which he claims are a culmination of his life’s work. On stage presenting and performing, motivating and coaching, and an undeniable passion for the youth as a whole, Dene knows how to work a crowd and ensure the message is "coolified". He’s been working since the age of 13 y/o and his passion and determination is what has lead him to become a leader within the youth skills-development industry.

Events · Awards · 16 May 2025 · 3 min read
Fast Track Challenge – Programme Report March/April 2025
Programme Overview The Earniversity Fast Track Challenge continued its mission to empower young people with practical, income-generating skills, confidence, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Over a five-week journey from 3 March to 2 April 2025, students engaged in 10 interactive live classes, exploring real-world strategies in reselling, in-person services, digital skills, and freelancing.
Dene Botha
Events · Partnership · 15 May 2025 · 2 min read
Freemantles School Partners with Earniversity to Empower Students with Real-World Skills
Surrey, UK – 02.05.25 Freemantles School is proud to announce a new partnership with Earniversity, the UK’s leading provider of practical skills and entrepreneurship education for young people with additional needs. This collaboration marks an exciting step forward in preparing students for life beyond school, offering real-world skills, confidence, and pathways to financial independence.
Dene Botha
Awards · Achievements · 14 May 2025 · 1 min read
And the winner is... Earniversity! Most Innovative Education Company - UK
Earniversity Awarded "Most Innovative Education Company in the UK - 2024" London, UK – July 2024 – Earniversity, a leading institution dedicated to empowering young people with modern earning skills, has been awarded the title of "The Most Innovative Education Company in the UK - 2024" in the Education & Training Awards presented by Corporate Vision.
Dene Botha
Events · Awards · Report · 24 December 2024 · 4 min read
Awards a-plenty at the Fast Track Challenge
Earniversity Celebrates the Completion of Its Most Successful Fast Track Challenge Yet London, UK – December 2024 – Earniversity, the leading platform for equipping young people with real-world earning and employability skills, is delighted to announce the successful completion of its November/December 2024 Fast Track Challenge (FTC). This programme, Earniversity's most impactful to date, saw 44 ambitious young people from across the UK embark on a transformative journey, with an impressive 37 completing the challenge—an outstanding 84% completion rate.
Dene Botha
Achievements · Report · 23 September 2024 · 6 min read
The report is in: OUSTANDING
Programme Overview The Earniversity Fast Track Challenge aimed to equip young people with essential employability, entrepreneurship and impact skills to positively impact their lives, their families, and their communities as a whole.
Dene Botha
Mindset · Events · 18 July 2024 · 2 min read
Finding your Purpose: Free workshop for teens
🔥This is the year to set your children on a path to success!💥 Join us for a FREE workshop for teens, "Finding Your Purpose," designed to help parents support their kids in achieving academic and financial success while discovering their true purpose.
Dene Botha
Partnership · 10 May 2024 · 2 min read
Plumstead Manor School Embraces Earniversity Programme to Empower Students Earnability Skills.
Plumstead Manor School, renowned for its forward-thinking approach to education, is proud to announce its partnership with Earniversity, the innovative platform dedicated to equipping young people with modern money-earning skills. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in providing students with practical, real-world opportunities to enhance their employability and financial literacy.
Dene Botha
Mindset · Awards · Achievements · Empowered Youth · 15 April 2024 · 2 min read
Celebrating a decade of Empowering the youth: Award winning partners
As schools reopen their doors, it's a timely moment for educators and mentors to reflect on our shared mission. In a world marked by rapid change, nurturing grit, fostering growth, and inspiring dedication in young minds has never been more crucial.
Dene Botha
Mindset · 11 March 2024 · 3 min read
Navigating the Side Hustle Tax: Understanding the changes and thriving amidst challenges
In recent times, the introduction of the "side hustle tax" has become a reality, ushering in a new era of regulations that directly impact individuals engaged in online transactions. Platforms like eBay, Airbnb, and Etsy will now play a more active role in reporting the income of their sellers to HMRC, a move aimed at curbing tax evasion. While this development may initially seem daunting, there's an opportunity to turn it into a positive trajectory for your side hustle. At Earniversity, we're committed to being your go-to portal for understanding the nuances of these changes and empowering you with the knowledge needed to navigate this evolving landscape... And there's something rather interesting about this "side-hustle" tax....
Dene Botha
Mindset · 20 February 2024 · 3 min read
Embracing imparfection in the age of AI: The Pratfall Effect and the Power of Authenticity
Over the past few weeks, SONA has blown the mind of the human-race. This AI is set to start, and end many opportunities. However, in the era of artificial intelligence, where algorithms think they're perfect but occasionally trip over their own virtual shoelaces, let's explore the hilarious and heart-warming world of the Pratfall Effect. Despite AI's brilliance, it turns out that people still find charm in the occasional algorithmic face plant. So grab your virtual popcorn, and let's dive into the imperfectly perfect world of human connection!
Dene Botha
Mindset · 14 February 2024 · 2 min read
Navigating the influencer, or unfluencer landscape
In the ever-evolving digital sphere, influencers have emerged as key players, shaping trends, and influencing the way we consume content. This blog post explores the fascinating world of influencers, their growing impact on consumer behaviour, and the intriguing concept of "Unfluencers."
Dene Botha
Mindset · 8 February 2024 · 17 min read
Washington Post Interview - Dene's Winding Path
This article first appeared in the Washington Post. It is reproduced here for people outside the US who can't access it. "I’m a living paradox." - Dene Botha "I met Dene three years ago via LinkedIn. He asked to chat. I almost always say yes to such a request–unless you are obviously trying to sell me something I’ve not requested. As a former professional surfer, tv show host, reality show winner, rhino activist, forex trader, realtor, etc. he’s lived enough professional lives for several people. Dene, 41, dropped out of school at 15 to pursue professional surfing and now works as an entrepreneur. He resides in Cornwall, England and is the COO at Earniversity- The School of Earning - a virtual business school for young people who want to learn digital skills and earn real money, in real time. This is his extremely circuitous and winding path." - Russ Finkelstein
Dene Botha
Events · 1 February 2024 · 1 min read
Join our open evening
Join our open evening to meet the team, ask questions, review the programme and get a feel for whether it's right for you, or for someone you want to sponsor.
Dene Botha
9 January 2024 · 3 min read
Unmasking the terrifying reality of financial Illiteracy amongst young people
When you next stream a spooky film on Netflix, remember that there’s something far more frightening than ghostly apparitions and brain munching zombies lurking in the lives of young people. The scariest stuff haunting the financial well-being of our youth is an alarming lack of knowledge about money-earning skills. In this spine-tingling journey, we explore the genuinely unsettling aspects of this conundrum and shed light on a potentially transformative solution.
Dene Botha