Full Name: Nosizwe Nokwe-Macamo

Position: Group CEO of PetroSA

Main Activity of the Company: Integrated upstream and downstream petrochemicals manufacturing

Date and Place of Birth: I was born in Soweto in the politically turbulent early 1960s

Education: Msc (chemical engineering), Moscow; leadership qualifications from INSEAD, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town

First Job: Receptionist for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Angola

Size of First Pay Packet: $400 (1991), in Angola

First Job with Present Group: The current one

Value of Assets under Your Control: About R30-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: 1 800

Management Style: Consultative

Personal Best Achievement: Being part of the divine process of creation and delivering a new human being into the world and nurturing her – nothing beats that feat

Professional Best Achievement: Starting up a company in a foreign country with a different language and different legal system and not knowing a single person in that country. For a while, I was everything – MD, FD, HCD, project manager, marketing director

Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My late mother, Vuyiswa Nokwe, a stalwart of the struggle for freedom in South Africa and memories of my late father, Duma Nokwe

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: Two of my previous bosses, who believed in me against all odds, took the plunge and gave me the space to grow to my full potential

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: My late grandmother Kate Malangabi, a trailblazer and formidable woman

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Monhla Hlala, previous CEO of ACSA.

Philosophy of Life: Always give and do your best

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Studying, on scholarship, for a master’s degree in petrochemical engineering in Russia and graduating cum laude

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not going to the Massachussetts Institute of Technology

Hope for the Future: That the economy of South Africa grows to its full potential so that we are capable of developing and uplifting the youth

Favourite Reading: Autobiographies of our struggle heroes and heroines, Deepak Chopra

Favourite TV Programme: I do not watch much TV

Favourite Food/Drink: My husband’s cooking

Favourite Music: A mix of golden oldies across all genres

Favourite Sport: Swimming and figure-skating

Favourite Website: Quite a few, including home decorating websites

Hobbies: Hanging out with my family, reading

Car: Not stated

Pets: Sid, our Pom

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonesty and people who undermine your integrity

Favourite Other South African Company: MTN

Favourite Foreign Company: Oando Petroleum Nigeria

Married: To my soulmate, Antonio Macamo

Children: Nhampulane, 12; Ailton, 17; Alain, 21

Clubs: I spend my spare time with my children, so I have very teen and young adult interests at this point