FAQ's

What is Civitas?

Civitas is a private network for high-growth founders. We bring together the top founders and CEOs in each city to connect and learn from each other. Our offering includes a digital community with online mentoring sessions, chat groups, meetups, and access to a CEO playbook - one page solutions to common challenges faced by CEOs.

We also offer an in-person community with regular events, from intimate dinners with high-profile CEOs to unique experiences with fellow founders. You’ll also be part of a monthly CEO forum with a carefully curated group of 7 founders to share learnings, overcome challenges, and build lasting friendships.

Who should join?

Civitas is for founders or CEOs of high-growth businesses. You must be the founder, owner, or person in charge of all operations (CEO or MD). Your business must be generating at least $500k (or R5m million) in annual revenue or have exceptional prior experience*.

Most of our members lead businesses between $500k and $50 million, with teams ranging from 5 to 2000 team members). We seek growth-focused, generous, collaborative members with a pay-it-forward attitude.

* Exceptional experience means you’ve previously built a $1 million business or held a corporate role managing at least 50 people or overseeing a P&L of at least $10 million. Or raised funding of at least $1 million.

What is the time commitment?

There’s no fixed time commitment. Some members get their value from the digital community, CEO Playbook, and WhatsApp groups, while others attend a few of our 10 to 15 monthly online and in-person events. If you decide to join a CEO forum, you’ll be required to commit to just 2-hours each month.

How does the application process work?

The application process is simple:

Fill out the quick online application which should take 2 minutes to complete
We’ll evaluate it and let you know if you’ve been successful. If you’re a fit, we’ll schedule a 25-minute Zoom to take you through the offering in detail.
Once onboarded, we’ll ensure you're getting value from the network right away.

Will this be a distraction?

We understand founders and CEOs are time-poor. That’s why our offering is designed to be low time commitment but high value. When you need quick solutions to urgent business challenges, we’ll connect you with the right people and resources.

The rest of the program focuses on learning from other's successes and avoiding their mistakes, to help you find a faster route to business growth and success.

I am fairly well-connected. Do I need this?

Even if you have a large network, many of our members find value in a structured, peer-learning environment, with facilitated conversations, and exposure to new ideas. In addition, our sessions are facilitated to address your specific needs, and you’ll regularly meet new founders at different stages in a time-efficient way.

I have a business coach. Do I need this?

Many members work with business coaches and still find great value in Civitas. In a CEO forum, you get multiple perspectives on your challenges, plus our events, mentoring, and online community offer a different dynamic than traditional coaching.

Will members be trying to sell me?

No. Civitas is built on a pay-it-forward culture, and we have a strict no-selling rule—unless someone explicitly asks for it. This creates a refreshing, collaborative atmosphere, unlike traditional networking events.

What are the Civitas values?

Our culture is built on respect, fair exchange, and growth. Members engage with these values to ensure a thriving, supportive community.

Who is already in the community?

Our community is diverse: 35% technology businesses (SaaS, software), 40% tech-enabled services, 10% product businesses (manufacturing, eCommerce, distribution), and 15% other industries.

Most companies have between 5 and 100 employees, with the largest employing up to 2,500 team members.

How does Civitas differ from other CEO communities?

Civitas provides a price-competitive, non-exploitative network that is fully managed and supported by a professional staff, negating the need for time-consuming volunteering and ensuring full alignment between the objectives of Civitas and all its members.