Alison Botha is one of South Africa’s most recognised inspirational speakers and extraordinary stories of human resilience. Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, Alison has transformed an unimaginable personal experience into a powerful international message about courage, resilience, attitude and the power of choice.
In December 1994, Alison survived a brutal abduction and attack on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. Against extraordinary odds, she survived and made a conscious decision that the events of that night would not determine the course of the rest of her life. Her subsequent journey of physical and emotional recovery became the foundation of a remarkable speaking career.
At the heart of Alison’s message is her powerful ABC philosophy — Attitude, Belief and Choice. She challenges audiences to recognise that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we retain the ability to determine our attitude, what we believe about ourselves and the choices we make moving forward.
Alison has taken this message to international audiences in more than 20 countries, addressing major corporations, conferences, schools, community organisations and leadership groups. Her presentation is intensely personal yet universally relevant, moving beyond her own experience to explore how ordinary people can access extraordinary reserves of strength when confronted by adversity.
Her story was documented in the bestselling book I Have Life: Alison’s Journey, first published by Penguin Books in 1998 and subsequently translated into multiple languages. She is also the author of For the Tough Times, published in 2002.
In 2016, her story reached the international screen through the feature documentary Alison. The film went on to win Best Documentary at the Asia Pacific Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
Her courage and contribution have also been recognised through several honours, including the Rotarian Paul Harris Award for Courage Beyond the Norm, the inaugural Femina Woman of Courage Award, and being named Port Elizabeth’s Citizen of the Year in 1995.
Alison’s keynote is ultimately not defined by what happened to her, but by what she chose to do next. Her ability to turn adversity into purpose gives audiences a compelling perspective on resilience, personal responsibility and the capacity of the human spirit to move forward.
SPEAKING THEMES
• Attitude, Belief & Choice — Taking ownership of how we respond to life’s circumstances
• Resilience Through Adversity — Finding strength when circumstances feel overwhelming
• The Power of Choice — Understanding the decisions that shape our future
• Courage & Inner Strength — Discovering what we are capable of when tested
• From Adversity to Purpose — Transforming difficult experiences into meaningful change
NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS
• International inspirational speaker with engagements in 20+ countries
• Bestselling story I Have Life: Alison’s Journey
• Author of For the Tough Times
• Subject of the award-winning feature documentary Alison
• Rotarian Paul Harris Award — Courage Beyond the Norm
• First recipient of the Femina Woman of Courage Award
• Port Elizabeth Citizen of the Year — 1995
• Internationally recognised voice on resilience, courage, attitude and personal choice
