Black Diamond Steve pictured with his team in red gear at the far left
By Simon Makgoga
He turned sweat into service.
What started as a student’s idea in a TUT lecture hall has become a national heartbeat.
For 26 years, Steve Baloyi better known as Black Diamond Steve has been dragging South Africans off couches and into community halls, shopping centres, and marathons, proving that fitness can heal bodies, build communities, and change lives.
Black Diamond Steve’s Unlimited (BDS) is on a mission to get South Africa moving one aerobics session at a time.
BDS’s Steve Baloyi leads his dedicated team from the front, demonstrating the moves
Under Baloyi’s leadership, the organisation has become a force for physical fitness and well-being, reaching people of all ages and backgrounds through outreach programs, community events, and high-energy marathons.
The idea for BDS was born in 2000 while Baloyi was completing his National Diploma in Supply Chain Management at the former Technikon Northern Gauteng, now Tshwane University of Technology.
“The idea of starting a keep-fit exercise was born at TNG,” Baloyi recalls.
BDS’s Steve Baloyi leading his aerobics team through a focused training session
“From a student idea to a national movement.”
What started on campus has grown into a nationwide brand.
BDS Unlimited now hosts outreach training sessions at shopping centres and community halls, and organises competitions across various sporting codes. Annually, BDS hosts two flagship events in April and November, drawing participants from across South Africa and neighbouring countries.
This year, in celebration of Mandela Month, BDS Unlimited will host the Kathorus Fitness League Ultra 7 Aerobics Marathon 2026 on 18 July at Boksburg City Hall, east of Johannesburg.
But for Baloyi, the events are about more than fitness.
“These events are not only meant for keeping people fit and entertaining, but also for giving back to the community,” he says.
BDS Unlimited is equally committed to tackling societal challenges.
The organisation focuses on donations of sanitary towels and school uniforms for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“It’s painful to see our future national assets going to school in torn and faded uniforms,” says the easy-going Baloyi.
“And it hurts even more to see girls missing class because they don’t have sanitary towels.”
Over the years, BDS has partnered with SABC1’s Skeem Saam for boot camps involving local high schools and actors from the series.
Baloyi has also shared stages with global icons, including actor and business leader Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Arnold Classic Africa Games.
Never one to stand still, Baloyi has also launched Tekkie Wash, a sneaker cleaning business that services all types of footwear.
It reflects the same values he preaches in aerobics: discipline, consistency, and cleanliness.
He currently hosts a free aerobics session every Thursday from 10:00 to 11:00 in Randburg RSVP required.
The sessions are also filmed for his YouTube channel, Aerobox South Africa.
Baloyi is also an aerobics coach at TUT’s Soshanguve Campus, continuing to mentor the next generation.
Steve Baloyi eats, breathes, and lives aerobics.
But more than that, he lives service.
From campus dreams in 2000 to community halls in 2026, Black Diamond Steve’s Unlimited proves that when you move your body, you can move a nation.
Get up.
Show up.
Let’s get fit and let’s lift each other while we do it.
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