Full Name: Matodzi Nesongozwi
Position: CEO of Manngwe Mining since 2010
Main Activity of the Company: Iron-ore mining
Date and Place of Birth: January 14, 1976, Dzanani, Venda, Limpopo
Education: Mphephu High School, matric; national diploma in metalliferous mining, national higher diploma in metalliferous mining, Technikon Witwatersrand; BTech (mining engineering), University of Johannesburg; international executive development programme, Wits Business School; mine manager's certificate of competence
First Job: Iscor, student at the Sishen iron-ore mine, 1998
Size of First Pay Packet: R400 a month
Number of People under Your Leadership: Full-time employees at Manngwe Mining total 24, while contractors total 230
Management Style: Open-office, but with brutal honesty
Personal Best Achievement: Being able to build four mines within a short space of time and the listing of Ferrum Crescent on the ASX
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father, Ramudzuli Neswongozwi. Other children used to mock me about my father cycling to work in Louis Trichardt every day, a good 100 km round trip. He would return with two or three bricks daily so that he could build a house for the family
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: They are numerous, but two stand out: Mathatha Tsedu, chairperson of Manngwe Mining, and Ras Myburgh, former CEO of Kumba Iron Ore
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Fortunately, I have met all the people that are important in my industry and in my life. But Sisa Ngebulana, of Billion Group, is one person I would still like to meet, as well as Bantu Biko and Mangaliso Sobukwe in the afterlife
Businesspeople Who Have Impressed You Most: Hendrik van der Bijl, founder of the Industrial Development Corporation, Eskom and Iscor, and Ayanda Bam, of Kuyasa Mining
Philosophy of Life: I do not regret the things I did wrong, but regret the good things I did for the wrong people; they thought they had buried us but did not know that we were seed
Biggest Ever Opportunity: The birth of my daughter and the education that I got through the sacrifices that my mother made, including brewing sorghum beer to support me and my six siblings all the way to tertiary level
Biggest Ever Disappointment: Previously I built two coal mines in Mpumalanga, but the greed and fights and the hijacking of the company left me with a bitter taste, unable to trust people, generally, and politicians, in particular
Hope for the Future: To be able to produce four-million tonnes to five-million tonnes of iron-ore a year in the next five years
Favourite Reading: Biographies and economics
Favourite TV Programme: National Geographic, Discovery and news
Favourite Food/Drink: Mashonzha (mopani worms) and traditional Venda muroho
Favourite Music: House and RnB
Favourite Sport: Soccer
Hobbies: Playing snooker, fishing
Car: Dodge Ram
Pets: None
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Dishonest businesspeople and politicians – they hold the keys to future generation and we cannot hand over the baton to the next generation based on lies and corruption
Married: To Mashudu Kuni
Children: I try to protect them by not mentioning their name
Clubs: None