Full Name: Boitumelo ‘Gwen’ Mahuma-Madida

Position and Company Name: CEO of Mahuma Investment Holdings (MIH), chairperson of Colossal Concrete Products, and executive director of BBD Steel Suppliers and Remkor Manufacturing

Main Activity of the Company: MIH is an investor in the supply and fabrication of steel products and manufacturing of concrete products

Date and Place of Birth: Coligny, in Lichtenburg, in the North West province

Schools and Tertiary Education: Matric, St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls, in Pretoria; BCom and BCom (Hons), North-West University; Executive Development Programme, Wits Business School

First Job: IBM South Africa

Size of First Pay Packet: R7 000 to R8 000 a month

Career Path to Date: I started at IBM South Africa as a trainee marketing assistant in 1996, before becoming an account manager. After leaving IBM, I tried a few ventures, including event management and corporate branding, before buying shares in a company called DSI-Mandirk Strata Support, an underground roof bolt manufacturing company in Germiston, in late 2004. This is what ultimately inspired me to enter the steel sector. I have been involved in various other entrepreneurial opportunities in areas such as readymix concrete and scrap metal recycling. My focus is currently on the companies we founded: BBD Steel in 2012, and Remkor Manufacturing in 2015. In 2021, together with three partners, we purchased two factories that belonged to Aveng Infraset, which we have rebranded as Colossal Concrete Products. The company has become a major supplier of precast concrete products for the rail, civils and infrastructure sectors

Value of Assets under Your Control: I am not at liberty to disclose this

Number of People under Your Leadership: About 270 people employed at BBD Steel, Remkor and Colossal Concrete Products

Management Style: Laissez-faire – I prefer to lead from the back

Personal Best Achievement: Being a mother to my boys

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother – she is one of the best entrepreneurs I have ever come across

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I have had a few, but the first one is Nigel Henson, MD of DSI, whom I met in 2004

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Warren Buffett and Michelle Obama

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Warren Buffett, because of his temperament, long-term vision in investing and the value he places on integrity in the people around him. Locally, I’m impressed by Monika Pretorius, MD of BBD Steel – she is my business partner, and her organisational skills always amaze me

Philosophy of Life: Treat others as you would like to be treated

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Starting Remkor Manufacturing with Raffaele La Monica and the privilege of bringing our respective brothers along on this journey

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not taking up an opportunity to study economics at postgraduate level in the US after graduation

Hope for the Future: To see a South Africa that is prosperous and safe, with ample opportunities for our youth, irrespective of race, gender or background

Favourite Reading: Any book by Warren Buffett, Maya Angelou and Marian Keyes

Favourite TV Programme: Blacklist

Favourite Food/Drink: Seafood, pasta, samp and plain boiled beef/berry juice

Favourite Music: R&B and soul and anything by Cynthia Erivo

Favourite Sport: Formula 1

Hobbies: Travelling, reading and trying out different foods

Car: Audi Q8 and Jaguar F-Pace

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Bullies and racists

Married: To Fani Madida

Children: Lebo, 26; Omphile, 14; and stepchildren Mpumi, 27; and Anathi, 22

Clubs: None