The son of a widowed mother, Dr Chris van der Merwe rose from humble beginnings to found the JSE-listed Curro and later, Stadio – two of South Africa’s largest private education companies. No trust fund. No shortcuts.
Curro: The Art of Creating True Wealth is part memoir, part play book. As it outlines the group’s early challenges and bold solutions, it also traces one man’s unflagging journey of growth, sharing the habits, decisions, and frameworks that turned a Grade 5 teacher with a daring idea into the founder of two multi-billion-rand companies.
In this inspirational book Chris shares the message that every person, no matter how disadvantaged, can achieve great heights in life. This is not a get-rich-quick guide. It is an honest account of what it takes to do business innovatively and successfully in South Africa, and to forge a rewarding life.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr Chris van der Merwe is a former teacher turned education entrepreneur. He founded Curro Holdings in 1998 and Stadio Holdings in 2016 – two of South Africa’s largest private education companies, worth over R12-billion combined. He holds a doctorate from Stellenbosch University.
Elmari Rautenbach is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 40 years’ experience in newspapers and magazines, with a stint in TV. As an author she is no stranger to business writing and has documented both Curro and Capitec’s 20-year histories in 1998–2018: 20 Years of Educational Excellence and Let’s Build a Bank 2001–2021.
'CURRO: The Art of Creating True Wealth' is published by Tafelberg, an imprint of Jonathan Ball Publishers