Johnathan Andrews Photography and Video - Edenvale

In March this year I visited the Johnathan Andrews Academy to scout the offering, prior to committing to signing up for their Photo & Video Editing Course. I thought it was a good idea as I mostly don't trust online decisions and transactions. The facilities at Greenstone, although far from where I live, looked perfectly fine and I thought Johnathan and his offering seemed like a professional operation. How wrong I was!!!!!

I completed the first of the courses, following which I received a mail to say they were relocating and that the subsequent courses would be in Germiston. I was not impressed with the added distance and it's location. In the beginning of June, with the commencement of the second part of my course, I thought I would try it out.

This proved disastrous. The site is in-between an informal settlement and a very unsavoury part of Germiston and the actual building was hardly a place of learning. It was a dilapidated warehouse. The lecturer, who himself was inadequate, projected the lesson on a screen which was barely visible owing to the bad conditions and lighting of the room. Being a Photoshop course, in which detail is essential, this was totally unacceptable.

I contacted Johnathan immediately who promised to refund me. He said that a refund would only be possible in 120 days. I waited my time out and after the 4 months there was no payment, only empty promises. Every conversation we had there was a new excuse. In a desperate attempt, I even challenged him to deposit a mere R1000 into my account. Came the date he was meant to do so, he sent a pathetic mail to say that the JA Academy has no funds to pay R1000 into my account.

All you have to do is google this man, to get a picture of the type of lifestyle and spend that he has access to, and realize what a lie this was.

The saddest part of this story is that I am not the only victim. I have recently learnt of 2 other young girls who are also owed refunds between R20 000 - R28 000 each for makeup courses they had signed up for before he unilaterally moved location.

As in my own case, these monies owed are funds set aside for learning and upskilling as part of a career path for ones future. Some of us have got the means to pick ourselves up and scratch for additional funds and pursue these courses elsewhere, but in the case of these young students - Johnathan, you're playing with people's lives and their futures!!!!

Please be very careful of this guy!