Executive Development | SBS-ED
Get in touch
Courses
Management & Leadership Development

Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP)

NQF Level 7 - Aligned

Available modes

Remote
R75 175
Online
R48 800
* Prices include VAT
ENROL NOW
Course Brochure
Schedule a call
Also available:

Africa Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP)
Discover more about our

Comprehensive Management Journey

Comprehensive Management Journey

On this page

Introduction

Effective leaders know that, in the world of business, the only constant is, and will forever be, change. The changes within are increasing exponentially and at a more rapid pace than ever before. Leaders are introduced to new organisational concepts, new business models, new technologies, and new consumer needs every day. It is an intricate and dynamic environment that can pose many challenges for leaders who are not prepared. This programme equips senior leaders with the tools necessary to transform these challenges into opportunities and help them become agents of change for their teams and organisation at large. It aims to broaden their worldview and empower them to become and remain resilient and agile leaders.

It will shift their thinking towards the future and equip them with the tools, techniques, and knowledge necessary to be better prepared for what is currently happening and yet to come. It nurtures a strategic and design-thinking mindset, as we explore concepts around strategic innovation, sustainability, and collaboration, as well as organisational change, business agility, and financial viability. Participants will thus be able to shift their paradigms from contributing at a functional level to impacting the organisation at a strategic level.

Who is this course for?

Experienced senior managers who manage other middle / senior managers, and who are needing to develop an agile, strategic, and design-thinking mindset in an ever-changing business environment.

Why choose this course?

The programme is a comprehensive 6-month programme that focuses on (1) Economics: Understanding Markets, (2) Leadership in a Complex World, (3) A Contextual Understanding of Macro Trends, (4) Digital Transformation, (5) Marketing for Excellence, (7) Managing Your Brand, (8) Designing Leading Edge Strategies, (7) Sustainable Competitiveness, (8) Enhancing Innovation and Design Thinking, (9) Building Human Capital, (10) Financial Management, and (11) Operational Effectiveness and Value Chain Analysis.

Over the course of 7 months, participants will be equipped to:

  • Explore and implement an integrated strategy within your business unit.
  • Synthesise sustainability practices to address specific challenges faced by your business unit.
  • Evaluate the financial viability of the business unit using key financial metrics.
  • Produce transformational leadership behaviours to develop and implement strategic initiatives that drive change.
  • Formulate human capital strategies to lead a diversified workforce.
  • Solve business unit challenges by using the principles of innovation.
  • Apply strategies for building strategic relationships to create customer value.
  • Analyse current marketing trends to create a marketing strategy that aligns with the organisation's vision and enhances brand value.
  • Interpret the challenges of disruptive technology on new and existing markets whilst considering the impact of macroeconomic trends on business strategies.

Admission Requirements

  • Admission Requirements
    3 to 5 years of senior management experience.
  • Admission Requirements
    English language competence at NQF 4 level / equivalent.
  • Admission Requirements
    Foundational knowledge of business and management.

What our participants had to say

SMDP has helped me, as a manager, to ask the right questions. I have grown from managing productivity to taking care of the workforce that report to me. It was like SMDP was preparing me for the recent pandemic and working digitally from home. SMDP made it very easy for me to adapt to the current norm and manage my team remotely. I am loving better, yes, all the modules and activities in SMDP helped me to love better. “I zoom in and zoom out“ for better on every aspect of my life be it spiritual, relationships, health, learning, and being productive.
Lucky Selowa
The SMDP has exposed me to methodologies and processes that are very different to the way that I had operated within my own environment previously. I have experienced the value of linking my SMDP learnings to the rapidly changing environment. I absolutely relished the learning experience from start to end, and the application thereof has enhanced my thinking and leadership exponentially.
Jillian Brikkels
When I started my SMDP course at USB, I was 3months into a new role I had been recently promoted to at work. The insights gained from the programme- have helped to enhance my strategic thought processes, and equipped me as a manager, with the necessary leadership and project management skills necessary to perform in this transitional business world. I’ve also developed more knowledge in financial statements which were not my strengths prior to the course.
Sbu Koyana
The team-based environment enabled me to learn from others, to accept and share ideas, to accept risks and rewards together - but most importantly and unconsciously - to build a solid business together. It forced me to think out of the box, to understand the dynamics of the organisation and to be a creative leader.
Darren Moodley
I’ve seen a great improvement with my relationships at a personal and professional sphere. I have a stronger relationship with my line manager, and I provide more input in projects and developments around our team. My focus on creating opportunities for the group, as opposed to the business unit, has developed much more in that I am able to refer credible leads to other businesses in the group.
Tshepho Ledwaba
The highlight of my experience was interacting with different people from different countries who have diverse backgrounds with the aim to achieve a common goal. The contributions, inclusion, support, disagreements, and consensus were phenomenal. The impacts of the project on my personal life were ‘the conscious urge to always give a helping hand!’ and also the value in identifying untapped resources to generate passive income. USB-ED has helped me to bridge my competency and developmental gaps, such as improving my innovative mindset and empowering me to think “without the box.
Sola Ogunsakin
The Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) has turned me to be a better leader and family man. The learnings are relevant to my day-to-day life, and beyond that, my organisation has made big strides with the implementation of new ways that I managed to share with my peers since completing the programme. Speaking from a personal perspective, I am in a better state mentally and psychologically since completing the programme, and all these are important in my endeavours of becoming a better leader.
Amos Xheko
Embrace the journey that the programme takes you through. There will be ups and downs, but the end result is worth it. Almost two years later not only does our team have a strong bond but also through the networking of the program you have a greater understanding of the business which allows for collaboration.
Karishma Singh
Left
Right

Course Calendar

All
All
Remote
Remote
Synchronous, video conferencing
Blended
Blended
Synchronous, Face-to-face & Remote
Online
Online
Asynchronous, self-paced, individual
Start
End
Approximate Duration
Delivery mode
Price incl. VAT
9 Mar 2026 - 9 Sep 2026
9 Mar 2026
9 Sep 2026
6 months
Remote icon
Remote
R75 175
7 Apr 2026 - 15 Dec 2026
7 Apr 2026
15 Dec 2026
9 months
Online icon
Online
R48 800
25 May 2026 - 5 Nov 2026
25 May 2026
5 Nov 2026
6 months
Remote icon
Remote
R75 175
23 Jun 2026 - 2 Mar 2027
23 Jun 2026
2 Mar 2027
9 months
Online icon
Online
R48 800
20 Jul 2026 - 21 Jan 2027
20 Jul 2026
21 Jan 2027
6 months
Remote icon
Remote
R75 175
5 Oct 2026 - 11 Mar 2027
5 Oct 2026
11 Mar 2027
6 months
Remote icon
Remote
R75 175

I would like to apply for this course

ENROL NOW

Related Insights

Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) Feature: Samuel Jacobs

Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) Feature: Samuel Jacobs

Career Development
28 Jul 2021 | 3 min
Facilitated by SBS-ED
Reviving growth for the Helenvale Centre of Hope with USB-ED’s SMDP group

Reviving growth for the Helenvale Centre of Hope with USB-ED’s SMDP group

Career Development
23 Jul 2021 | 3 min
Facilitated by SBS-ED
Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) Feature: Tom Murray

Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) Feature: Tom Murray

Career Development
08 Jul 2021 | 3 min
Facilitated by SBS-ED

Courses for Individuals

Solutions for Organisations

About

Degree Programmes

Connect with Alumni


Education Funding with
Capitec Bank

Work at SBS-ED

Insights

Social Media

Payment Logos
© 2026 SBS-ED. All rights reserved.