Author of The Art of Acceleration.
Began her career as an agricultural economist at the Zambia Farmers Union.
Founded Fetola to contribute to the economic transformation of South Africa, by growing the small business sector.
An advocate for building small business ecosystems that are sustainable, successful, and create inclusive wealth, Catherine offers a distinctive African perspective on economic transformation with her model of regenerative, inclusive leadership grounded in real-world impact. In her latest book The Art of Acceleration she redefines “acceleration” as the ability to create conditions in which people, ideas, and ecosystems can flourish, blending structured design with deep human understanding. She demonstrates how to implement the Fetola Growth Method® – a practical and philosophical framework for enterprise development – to accelerate business success.
Catherine Wijnberg is a South African entrepreneur and systems thinker who founded Fetola, one of Africa’s foremost business accelerators focused on inclusive and sustainable growth. Over the past two decades, she has developed a successful model for scaling small and medium enterprises, particularly those led by women, youth, and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Born in Zambia, Catherine trained as an agricultural economist, studying in the UK and Australia, before taking the leap into entrepreneurship with her first venture, in trade and import. She started Fetola in 2006.
The Art of Acceleration: How to create BIG opportunities for small business (Rethink Press, 2025), Sheep will never rule the world (Quivertree Productions, 2020). Reframe Your Negative Beliefs, Change Your World (Mindset Profits, 2024); Masterclass on Bridging the SME Funding Gap (702. CapeTalk, 2024); The role of SMEs in the Circular Economy (Fetola, 2023); Creating a Green Circular Economy with SMEs (Fetola, 2020).
“Practical insights on how to achieve growth in challenging contexts by optimising economic, social, and environmental impact.”
– Thinkers50
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Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
Thinkers50 Limited
The Studio
Highfield Lane
Wargrave RG10 8PZ
United Kingdom
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