Success usually takes a predictable route—gain the proper degrees, ascend the corporate ladder, and step into leadership positions. For most, being at a global firm like Deloitte would be the pinnacle of achievement. But for Lerato Sithole, it was just the start of an even greater quest.
After excelling in the corporate sector, she began questioning the essence of success. The success and monetary compensation were there, but there was something missing. This conflict led her to take a step back, reevaluate her purpose, and eventually leave a high-profile career to undertake a mission of transformation.
Now, as the Founder and CEO of Think and Grow Rich Africa, she is redefining success—both for herself and for an entire Africa Continent. Her story is one of making big choices, defying skepticism, and demonstrating that mindset is the key to sustainable change. Through her endeavors, she is unlocking potential, rewriting leadership stories, and making sure that success is no longer the preserve of a select few but a norm for many.
From Deloitte to Destiny: Lerato Sithole’s Transformational Journey
While working at Deloitte, Lerato Sithole had achieved what she had aimed for. However, to find the missing piece in her life she decided to take a pause.
Over a three-month sabbatical, she took time to realize what was important. It was when Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill once again entered her life, but this time with a new awareness. The book had been a guiding influence in her life for years, but she now realized its greater potential.
Though its principles had changed lives all over the world, she identified a gap on how these considers the African context. That lack, she came to understand, wasn’t an error—it was an opportunity. “Success is sometimes thought of as something for a select few, but it isn’t. The right attitude can change everything,” she says.
Unlocking Potential: How Lerato Sithole is Reshaping Leadership in Africa
Leadership in Africa had for years been defined by outside forces— geopolitical factors, societal inequalities, international influence, and adopted business models. But Lerato knew true change had to originate from within.
To counter these stories, she established Think and Grow Rich Africa negotiated rights for 18 months and crafted a systematic approach to make it available to entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders.
“The greatest wealth in Africa isn’t in its resources; it’s in its people,” she stresses.
Her vision is not just about individual development. She’s creating a movement, and delivering coaching and mentorship initiatives, leadership training, storytelling and online learning platforms that empower people with tools to shatter mental barriers and fuel economic transformation.
It’s already making a difference. Entrepreneurs are starting businesses, young professionals are taking on leadership positions, and communities are seeing new financial opportunities. For Lerato, this is merely the start.
A Legacy of Transformation: The Impact of Think and Grow Rich Africa
Lerato Sithole’s ambition for Think and Grow Rich Africa is not simply about personal success—it’s about making a ripple effect of change. With plans to impact 140 million individuals in the coming five years, her strategy blends, coaching mentorship, leadership development, and online learning to redefine the concept of success and how to achieve it.
Fundamentally, the program is all about actionable mindset changes. Instead of simply imparting principles, it provides people with tools to shatter obstacles—whether in business, leadership, or life. The proof is already out there: entrepreneurs growing companies, professionals shattering limiting beliefs, and communities embracing financial freedom.
“We are not teaching principles—we are creating a new definition of success,” she says.
By framing Think and Grow Rich Africa as both an economic empowerment movement and a personal development platform, Lerato is making its impact not only inspirational but lasting and tangible.
Transforming Challenges to Breakthroughs: Shifting the Mindset Narrative
Initiating a movement based on mindset change in Africa was not without challenges—skepticism being the largest. Transformational coaching was seen by many as abstract or the domain of top professionals. It took more than talk to overcome this; it took evidence.
Instead of trying to convince individuals, Lerato concentrated on outcomes. Based on real-life examples, she proved how changed perspectives resulted in business success, professional progress, and financial advances. The skepticism subsided when increasingly more people started embracing the program and perceived alterations in their own lives.
In addition to perception barriers, there were structural barriers. Obtaining the official rights to Think and Grow Rich Africa was an 18-month process of negotiations, strategic networking, and unrelenting persistence. Building partnerships with businesses, schools, and community leaders was another fight, but one that set the stage for long-term influence.
“The greatest victory isn’t personal—it’s seeing someone unlock their potential and take action on it,” she says.
Her work has since been rewarded, with her being listed as one of Africa’s 10 Most Empowering Women Leaders of 2024 an awarded by the House of Lords in the London Parliament, for Business Excellence 2025. But for Lerato, success is not about accolades—it’s about the lives that have been transformed.
The Principles Behind Her Success
For Lerato Sithole, leadership is not about power—it’s about empowerment. She feels that great leaders don’t merely lead; they provide a space where others can flourish.
At Think and Grow Rich Africa, this philosophy is at the heart of everything. Instead of traditional top-down leadership, she fosters a culture of collaboration, ownership, and personal accountability. Her approach encourages individuals to think beyond immediate success and focus on long-term transformation—both for themselves and those they influence.
Resilience and adaptability have also defined her leadership path. Whether it was making the leap from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship or breaking through resistance to mindset change, she has always depended on strategic thinking and a strong commitment to her purpose.
“A leader’s success is not measured by their own success, but by the people they empower,” she says.
By what she does, she is remaking stories of leadership, showing that genuine influence is more about helping others grow.
A Movement, Not Just a Mission: The Road Ahead
With Think and Grow Rich Africa continuing to expand, Lerato Sithole’s aim is still to spread its influence and amplify its impact. What began as a dream is now a movement, demonstrating that mindset change is the key to lasting success.
Her next steps include collaborating with educational institutions, corporate leaders, and policymakers to embed success-driven thinking at all levels. She believes that real change happens when mindset transformation becomes part of everyday life—inside classrooms, businesses, and leadership spaces.
But for her, the journey is far from over. “We’re shifting the way people define success,” she says. “Not just for today, but for generations to come.”
Through its unwavering dedication to uncovering potential and redefining possibilities, Lerato Sithole is demonstrating that success is less about shattering individual barriers—but more about raising a new level of growth, leadership, and economic empowerment.
