Katlego’s path into private equity wasn’t linear. Born and raised in Bloemfontein, she excelled academically, earning a scholarship to Eunice Girls’ High School before securing a bursary to study accounting at the University of the Free State. Although her first love was chemical engineering, she quickly embraced the CA route, graduating in the top 10 of her class for both undergrad and postgrad.
Her career began at Nedbank, where she completed her articles through the bank’s prestigious CA programme. It was here, working with small and medium property finance clients, that Katlego’s passion for private equity was sparked.
“Many entrepreneurs had the land and the approvals, but not the equity. They knew their businesses, but they didn’t always have the financial knowledge or resources to grow. That’s where I realised the transformative potential of private equity.”
Katlego honed her early technical skills at Stockdale Street, the Oppenheimer family office, where she balanced finance responsibilities with deal management. It was a demanding but formative environment, where strong opinions were encouraged, and she was exposed to the realities of balancing investor expectations with entrepreneurial ambition. “It taught me that private equity is not only about returns, but it is also about the journey you travel with the people you invest in,” she reflects.
Her next move, to Palamo Partners, broadened her perspective on third-party capital and formal governance processes. From there, she joined EY’s Strategy and Transactions division, sharpening her financial due diligence skills on both buy-side and sell-side deals across multiple industries. “It gave me the ability to see businesses from every angle,” she says, “and the discipline to interrogate what really drives them.”
In 2023, Katlego joined Vuna Partners. What drew her in was not just the firm’s investment thesis, but its culture.
“The values of the founders, Siya and Shafiek, resonated with me. They had capital, yes, but more importantly, they were principled operators who believed in building more than financial returns. They want to leave a lasting impact.”
At Vuna, Katlego has already played a meaningful role in shaping portfolio companies by strengthening governance, embedding financial systems, and driving transformation strategies. One standout example involved helping a family-owned business professionalise its operations by appointing a new CFO, building in-house finance capabilities, and implementing a BEE strategy that elevated the company to Level 4. The ripple effect extended to suppliers: The company facilitated access to markets and equipment for a small farming enterprise, which now delivers to FMCG majors with fewer losses thanks to cold-storage trucks provided through the partnership.
For Katlego, these stories exemplify the “Vuna way”: investing to create not just jobs, but quality jobs. “We’ve implemented group risk cover across portfolio companies (life, disability, funeral) because employees deserve more than a payslip. That’s impact you can measure.”
Private equity is still a male-dominated field, but Katlego has beaten her own path with quiet confidence. “There are moments where you feel the pressure to prove yourself more. But I’ve always told myself: I deserve to be in this room. My ability speaks for itself.”
Her leadership style is anchored in principles of fairness, accountability and empathy. She’s not afraid to confront difficult decisions, but she never loses sight of the human element. “If a company is in trouble, the easy answer might be to cut 200 jobs. But I’d rather ask: can we reduce hours so everyone keeps something? We are not just investors who target financial gains. We want to change the South African landscape.”
It’s an approach shaped as much by her upbringing as by her career. Raised by a mother who encouraged honesty, independence, and empathy, Katlego carries those values into every negotiation and boardroom. She believes deals succeed when values align and when investors listen as much as they speak. “You learn more by listening. Entrepreneurs know their industries better than we ever will. Our job is to bring tools, capital, and perspective [and] not to dictate.”
The South African private equity industry faces headwinds, from tough exits to inflated price expectations driven by record dry powder, but Katlego remains optimistic. She sees opportunities in the mid-market, especially as generational transitions create space for new black industrialists to emerge.
Her own ambitions are clear: to keep evolving and to leave a legacy of leadership defined by empathy and impact. “I don’t want to be stagnant. When I die, I want to die empty, having explored all my abilities and what I could do.”
Outside the office, Katlego is an avid reader of African literature, a budding golfer, and a lover of the arts and jazz. But it’s her ability to combine technical skill with human connection that sets her apart in private equity, an embodiment of the firm’s ethos: disciplined, principled, and deeply committed to building both value and values.