Circular Economy Accelerator (CEA) by Fetola

Enriched Impact Investor · Found: 2026-03-11 11:22

South African accelerator focused on circular economy, sustainability, and business growth. Provides business growth and leadership development support for entrepreneurs in the sustainability and circular economy space.

Source: https://fetola.co.za/programmes-previous-2/cea

Funding Details

Funder

Fetola (in partnership with Nedbank)

Funding Goal

Support black-owned South African SMEs in adopting circular economy practices, improving resource efficiency, reducing waste, and building sustainable, competitive businesses.

Funding Amount

No financial grant — accelerator provides business support, mentorship, and expert guidance (non-monetary)

Deadline

Waiting list open (no fixed deadline for next cohort) (Rolling)

How to Apply

Join the waiting list via a Zoho form on the Fetola website. When a new cohort opens, applicants on the waiting list will be notified to apply formally.

Target Region

South Africa (Africa)

Contact

Contact via fetola.co.za/contact-us/ — Social: @fetolasa on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

Last Checked

2026-03-11 16:25

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Business must be 100% black-owned to qualify
• Business must be operational and actively generating revenue
• Annual turnover must be less than R5 million

Project Scope

• Must operate in a qualifying high-impact sector: agriculture, renewable energy, water, waste management, manufacturing, agro-processing, construction, services, retail, or textiles

Required Documents

• Register interest via the Zoho waiting list form before a cohort opens

Constraints

• Programme is non-financial — applicants seeking direct funding should look elsewhere; CEA provides mentorship and business support only
• Commitment to a 14-month programme is required
• Programme is currently in waiting list phase — no active application window

Summary

The Circular Economy Accelerator (CEA) is a 14-month business accelerator programme run by Fetola in partnership with Nedbank, based in South Africa. It targets small, operational, black-owned businesses that want to adopt circular economy principles — reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, and transforming sustainability into a competitive advantage. Participants receive expert guidance, mentorship, business support, and connections to investors and potential clients. The programme is sector-agnostic within high-impact fields: agriculture, renewable energy, water, waste management, manufacturing, agro-processing, construction, services, retail, and textiles. Eligibility is strictly restricted to 100% black-owned businesses with annual turnover below R5 million. The programme is currently in a waiting list phase rather than actively accepting applications. CEA is not a grant programme — it provides non-financial accelerator support including tools, training, mentorship, and market access. Its purpose is to help build a new generation of responsible businesses in South Africa, contributing to the green economy while unlocking economic opportunity in historically underserved communities. Fetola positions this as an enterprise development initiative with environmental co-benefits.

Historical Context

The programme has previously produced an impact report (14-page, published November 2024), indicating at least one completed cohort. The page was first published October 2022. Nedbank has been a partner. A separate FNB Youth Start-Up Accelerator is also promoted by Fetola alongside CEA.

Why it was added

CE/waste accelerator or incubator

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