Full Name: Katlego Makgata

Position: MD of Leoka Engineering

Main Activity of the Company: Project management, design and engineering (engineering, procurement and construction management/engineering, procurement and construction), mainly in the mining sector

Date and Place of Birth: July 6, Majaneng village, near Hammanskraal, in northern Gauteng

Education: Master’s degree in mechanical engineering

First Job: Computational fluid dynamics engineer, Pebble Bed Modular Nuclear Reactor (Pty) Ltd

Career History Prior to Current Position: Computational fluid dynamics engineer, project engineer, project manager

Size of First Pay Packet: R110 an hour

First Job with Present Group: MD

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: 110

Management Style: Inclusive and encouraging of innovation

Personal Best Achievement: Being able to make time for my family and see them through their different life stages

Professional Best Achievement: Completion of the Maseve platinum mine project, near Rustenburg, in the North West, as lead engineer and project manager

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My wife

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My former colleague and friend, Carlos Andrade – he pushed me very hard from the first day I started working at DRA

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Dangote Industries founder and chairperson Aliko Dangote

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: My mother – I learned a lot about smart hard work and how to influence people from working with her on small business ventures

Philosophy of Life: Not trying – succumbing to the fear of failure – is not an option

Biggest Ever Opportunity: That must be, by far, the time Leoka was trusted to take over an underperforming EPCM contract for an underground infrastructure project to extend the life-of-mine of a copper mine

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not having had extensive international travel

Hope for the Future: A South Africa that is genuinely committed to uplifting its people through education and creating opportunities for entrepreneurship

Favourite Reading: I read anything from business books to engineering and financial literature, autobiographies as well as historical accounts of events

Favourite TV Programme: Any basketball-related programme

Favourite Food/Drink: Matured medium-rare thick-cut steak with a hint of vegetables, partnered with a good beer

Favourite Music: I listen to most types of music, and all driven by mood, but Soul RnB tends to be the go-to choice on most occasions

Favourite Sport: Basketball

Favourite Website: None

Hobbies: Golf, mountain biking and cycling

Car: Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Chewing with mouth open

Favourite Other South African Company: Bathu – the shoe company

Favourite Foreign Company: None – the corporate scandals of late have made one wary of investing faith and trust in any one company

Married: To Motlatsi Makgata

Children: Oletlile, 14; Kano, 12; Oabile, 3

Clubs: Balemi Golf Club