Founder and CEO, Fetola
Catherine Wijnberg is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur who is passionate about the radical scaling of small businesses as a tool to enable inclusive economic growth, generate social well-being and job creation.
As CEO and founder of the social enterprise Fetola, she leads a dynamic partnership of growth professionals that build businesses that last – creating thousands of reliable, responsible and resilient businesses that become the anchor of our economy and deliver positive impact in communities across South Africa.
Through its four accelerators, Fetola works across multiple sectors including rural and peri-urban business, youth entrepreneurship, sustainability, circular economy, and social enterprise. Born in Zambia and educated in England, Scotland and Australia, she holds a Masters in Agriculture from the University of Queensland, Australia and an MBA from Henley Business School.
Catherine has honed her skills in personal development, business growth and towards the creation of meaningful lives in this fast-changing world. Catherine’s own entrepreneurship trajectory has seen her operate in multiple sectors across various Southern African countries and beyond.
Her passion is to do more and to challenge others to do the same by building industry-wide collaborations and finding bold and impactful solutions that act as catalysts for change, for millions of people.
Her book titled “Sheep will never rule the world” provides inspiration to readers on a journey of personal and business growth. The simple and powerful tips in her book have touched the lives of many including C-suite executives and aspiring young entrepreneurs. Catherine lives in Cape Town, is a passionate paraglider, avid mountain hiker, and wildlife enthusiast.