Successful entrepreneur, industrialist and financially self-sufficient businessman, he entered the non-formal educational arena in 1978. He spared no effort or money to travel the world in his quest for information and knowledge in areas of learning which he wanted to bring back to South Africa with its millions of illiterate and deprived people. He not only attended many courses offered by leading educators, but always tried to get as near as possible to great minds which have had a profound influence on mankind.

His strong calling to contribute towards improving the plight of fellow South Africans, urged Frikkie throughout his life to spend huge amounts of energy and money in pioneering work, especially in Accelerated Learning, initially developed by the Bulgarian academic, Dr G Lozanov.

He went to great lengths to demonstrate the validity and success of this concept, and in fact spent more than a million Rand out of his own pocket on a pilot project in a primary school over a period of three years. In a comparative study between eight learning institutions, he was awarded first position by the Human Sciences Research Council.
The concept of Suggestopedic Accelerated Learning forms the basis of most of the Lead the Field products developed under his guidance.

He established two major training centers in Gauteng, viz. Alpha Training Centre at Broederstroom, presently run by the Board of Trustees, financed by Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, and Omega Training Centre in North Riding. Lead The Field Africa CC now located in Randburg, is focused on the Learning Ability Battery, ABET programmes and materials.

Frikkie has, inter alia held the following positions:

He is the Founder of the following Dexterity Training Centres; Bloemfontein, Chamdor, Port Elizabeth, Pinetown, Apex, the Vaal Triangle, Mamelodi, Boskop.

Lead the Field is built on the ideas, dreams and inspiration of the CEO, Frikkie van Kraayenburg. The vision of the organization is summarised as: The release of full human potential in order to promote harmonious co-existence and to enhance the quality of life among the peoples of South Africa.

André Eugene Rudman joined the SA Navy in 1958, attended various courses and served at sea as an executive officer in minesweepers and frigates.
He was awarded the Packer Memorial shield in 1964 as the most outstanding student on the Lieutenant’s Qualifying course. In 1966 he qualified as an Anti-Submarine Warfare specialist in the United Kingdom.

He had extensive experience in several training appointments, notably as Officer Commanding of the Naval Staff College from 1979 to 1981, where his search for better ways of using the human mind was started. His last full-time post was that of Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, where he was responsible for directing training in the SA Navy, with all the training units under his command. He retired from full-time service in the Navy as a Commodore ﴾Now Rear-Admiral (JG) ﴿ in 1987.

Since leaving the Navy his experience includes a partnership in a small manufacturing business, running his own training enterprise (Mindskills Training) and an appointment as General Manager of the National Sea Rescue Institute.

He joined Lead the Field Africa as a director in July 1991, and was involved in Lifeskills training, the Learning Ability Battery and Adult Basic Education programmes. He served in the SA Navy Reserve as a member of the Naval Reserve Board from 1993 to 2004, where he was tasked with projects like writing the Navy’s Reserve Force policy, planning the Reserve career management system and the redesign of the Navy’s Reserve Force.

In 1997 he established Africa Discovery Tours, remaining active as an independent tour operator.

He returned to Lead the Field in 2007 as the Western Cape Area representative, and assisted with the upgrading of the Learning Ability Battery programme and materials.

Piet Madienyane has been with Lead The Field Training for more than 12 years. His is quite a multi-skilled person. He manages our Printing Department and compilation of training materials.

He is also a trained Facilitator of the LAB programme. He has done assessments and training for Lead The Field Training in various parts of the country, and Southern African Countries. He fills an important role in our Management Team.