Full Name: Pulane Tshabalala Kingston
Position: Founder and executive chairperson of Mirai Rail Corporation, as well as CEO of voestalpine VAE SA, which is majority-owned by the Mirai Rail Corporation group of companies
Main Activity of the Company: Our goal is to deliver meaningful rail health and rolling stock solutions to customers across sub-Saharan Africa. We design, manufacture and supply turnouts and turnout components and also supply railway rails and signalling components, in addition to providing rail welding and logistical services. Mirai owns ultrasonic testing equipment and is building the capacity to install and maintain high-voltage electrical equipment. Lastly, Mirai owns one of the leading rolling stock overhaul companies, which supplies rolling stock components and reprofiles wheels.
First Job and Size of Pay Packet: Shipping sales administrator at Unicorn Shipping, in Durban – my first pay packet was not memorable
First Job with Present Group: CEO
Number of People under Your Leadership: 275
Management Style: Transformational
Personal Best Achievement: Surviving sexual violence in my teenage years
Professional Best Achievement: Building Sphere Holdings and now Mirai Rail Corporation
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: It is the phalanx of strong women in my family, children and their father
Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: ENS chairperson Michael Katz
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: I have already met the person I would most like to meet – past , present and future – and that is OR Tambo, who was the president of the African National Congress between 1967 and 1991. He helped to both raise and conscientise me. There is simply no one who can measure up to him
Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Former PepsiCo CE Indra Nooyi
Philosophy of Life: Differentiate yourself through competence and self-mastery; be courageous and act from a place of integrity
Hope for the Future: In my lifetime, my hope is to see the eradication of extreme poverty in Africa, and the active containment of climate change across the world
Favourite Reading: The Bone Woman, by Clea Koff; The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy; King Leopold’s Ghost, by Adam Hochshild; and New Power, by Jeremy Heimans
Favourite TV Programme: Head to Head, hosted by Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera
Favourite Food/Drink: Mnqusho and oxtail; foie gras and brioche; and tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream, washed down with still mineral water
Favourite Music: Everything but Metallica
Favourite Sport: Soccer – my favourite team is the currently dismally performing Manchester United
Favourite Website: Frieze.com – an art website
Hobbies: Reading, visual and performance arts
Car: Audi A2
Pets: Two dogs – a miniature schnauzer called Shadow and a miniature poodle called Kimora Lee
Miscellaneous Dislikes: Arachnids
Favourite Other South African Company: Nando’s – mainly for its ads, and Telesure – for its unwavering support for gender-based violence causes
Favourite Foreign Company: Deutsche Bahn
Children: Sacha, 38; Oliver, 36; Theodora, 31; Zachary, 29; Khaya, 21; Khetiwe,19
Clubs: African Leadership Institute