Full Name: Takalani Randima

Position: GM at Shaft Sinkers Mining, the Southern Africa mining, construction and development division of United Mining Services Group, as well as nonexecutive director of software solutions company i-Lab

Main Activity of the Company: The execution of shaft sinking projects, including the construction of shaft and underground infrastructure. The company also undertakes trackless or mechanised development, conventional mining and mine rehabilitation and refurbishment

Date and Place of Birth: April 26, 1983, Venda, Limpopo province

Education: Bachelor of Mining Engineering, University of Pretoria (UP), 2007; Master’s in Engineering, UP, 2017

First Job: Junior mining engineer at Aveng Mining (then known as Grinaker-LTA)

Career History Prior to Current Position: I joined Aveng Mining (Grinaker-LTA) in 2008 as a trainee mining engineer and had risen to contracts manager when I resigned to take up the position of senior contracts manager at Redpath Mining in December 2014. I joined Gold Fields in 2017 as section manager in charge of backfill, secondary support, water handling and roadways at the South Deep mine

Size of First Pay Packet: R25 000 a month

First Job with Present Group: Manager: Mining Engineering

Management Style: Situational leadership

Personal Best Achievement: To be able to maintain a balance between family and work life

Professional Best Achievement: Progressing from a junior position to leading and managing the shaft sinking teams as GM at Shaft Sinkers Mining; receiving the MD’s Award for the Kalagadi shaft sinking project execution; serving as VP of the Mining Engineering Alumni; managing the project team for R1.2-billion contracts; successful execution of the Evander shaft tower installation by the Shaft Sinkers mining team

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I have had many influencers in my career

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Angela Merkel and Oprah Winfrey

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Patrice Motsepe and Adrian Gore

Philosophy of Life: Tell the truth, regardless of how ugly it may be

Biggest Ever Opportunity: I am still waiting for one

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The Covid-19 corruption in South Africa

Hope for the Future: A South Africa without inequality

Favourite Reading: Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, by Nell Scovell and Facebook COO Sheryl Sanderberg, and Boardroom Dancing, by Nolitha Fakude

Favourite TV Programme: The Weakest Link, How to Get Away with Murder and news channels

Favourite Food/Drink: Prawns/Passion fruit and lemonade

Favourite Music: Various genres

Favourite Sport: Soccer and rugby

Hobbies: Game reserve holidays, swimming, family game nights, cooking and listening to music

Car: Audi Q5

Pets: A dog, Tyson

Miscellaneous Dislikes: People who lie and long, unsupervised queues

Married: To Simon Mametja

Children: Tendani, 12; Mathapelo, 1 month

Clubs: Parkrun