Full Name: Avhurengwi Nengovhela

Position and Company Name: CEO of Coaltech Research Association

Main Activity of the Company: Coaltech is the South African coal industry's collaborative research association funded by members to commission applied research with universities and science councils in mining, processing, the environment and future coal technologies

Date and Place of Birth: August 30,1982, Vhembe District, Limpopo

Education: Bachelor of Earth Sciences (Honours) (Mining and Environmental Geology), University of Venda (Univen), 2003; Master of Earth Sciences (Geology), Univen, 2006; Mining Engineering Graduate Diploma (cum laude), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), 2011; MSc (Engineering), Wits, 2018; Postgraduate Diploma (Digital Business), Emeritus, 2020; Emerging Leaders Programme, University of Cape Town, 2021; MBA, University of Johannesburg, 2024; Certificate in Financial Analysis and Management Accounting, London School of Economics, 2025

First Job: Geoscientist, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Size of First Pay Packet: About R15 000 a month

Career Path to Date: I started as a geoscientist at the CSIR in 2005, after which I worked as a mine geologist at Gold Fields' Driefontein mine from 2006 to 2007, land manager at Lonmin from 2007 to 2008 and senior resource geologist at Gold Fields' South Deep mine from 2008 until I joined BHP Billiton in 2011 as team lead for manganese resource geology and exploration, including a period as mine planning superintendent at Hotazel. I stayed on through the demerger that created South32. I was senior strategy manager for mining and sustainability at Deloitte Consulting from 2022 to 2023 and head of sustainability at Petra Diamonds from 2023 until May 2024, when I was appointed Coaltech CEO. Earlier this year, I became an executive director of the Institute for Social Dialogue

Value of Assets under Your Control: As a non-profit company, what Coaltech has is the backing of the industry: seven primary members, 24 associate members and a wide community of researchers

Number of People within My Immediate Sphere of Influence: Seventeen senior people who steer the research agenda, made up of a board of eight, three steering committee chairs, five vice-chairs and the SACMA representative, all drawn from the industry. Behind them is a network of researchers and a small core team that makes it all run

Management Style: I am a caring custodian of something the coal industry built and trusts us to look after. I am a stickler for detail and am always looking for better ways to work. My management style depends on what needs to be done

Personal Best Achievement: Coal faces immense pressure worldwide, and keeping the research that Coaltech does moving through all that has been the proudest achievement of my career

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My children, especially my daughter Lihle

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Johan Coetzee, now MD at Alvarez & Marsal, who was my manager at South32

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, an athlete who came from humble beginnings to dominate the world for over ten years

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Seriti Resources Group CEO Mike Teke

Philosophy of Life: Keep getting up. Everyone gets knocked down. What sets successful people apart is that they get back up every time

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Growing Coaltech into a globally respected research body that punches well above its weight

Biggest Ever Disappointment: That it took me so long to believe I could do anything I set my mind to

Hope for the Future: That we stop accepting that things have to remain the way they are and that we can build a country we are all proud of

Favourite Reading: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Favourite TV Programme: Game of Thrones is the best show ever made. The one I watch on repeat is Seinfeld

Favourite Food/Drink: Coffee, all day, and Chinese noodles 

Favourite Music: I didn’t listen to much music in the past, but when I did Oliver Mtukudzi was undefeated. However, that changed over the last year with AI music – I have made more than 1 000 songs, a few of which I’m really proud of

Favourite Sport: Football

Hobbies: Currently, it’s pushing AI as far as it will go, building my own tools and work apps to simplify how I work

Car: I have absolutely zero interest in cars

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Things we keep doing in the name of tradition long after anyone can say why, however much they cost us

Children: Tshedza, 20; Lihle, 13; Jeremiah, 6