Full Name: Mayleen Kyster

Position: Founder and director of Africa Steel Holdings

Main Activity of the Company: Africa Steel Holdings is a steel-specific investment holding company and steel project management company that also trades in steel and offers steel processing services

Date and Place of Birth: December 26, 1983, Vereeniging

Education: MBA, North-West University; BCom, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); certificate in project management, Wits

First Job: Accounting officer at ArcelorMittal South Africa

Career History Prior to Current Position: I have held various positions in the carbon steel and stainless steel industry and had a one-year stint at an engineering consulting business

Size of First Pay Packet: Too little

First Job with Present Group: Chief dreamer – I am the founder of the business

Personal Best Achievement: Attaining an MBA at 26; my not-for-profit organisation, Alpha Foundation Africa

Professional Best Achievement: Starting my business

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

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Mark Shuttelworth and Martin Moshal

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Eric Sampson, founder of Macsteel

Philosophy of Life: With faith, be bold for purpose

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Starting my business

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Not being able to take up ballroom dancing competitively when I was a child – this still haunts me

Hope for the Future: That I change the lives of hundreds of children through Alpha Foundation Africa

Favourite Reading: I am currently reading Get That Feeling, by Ian Fuhr. I enjoy books about entrepreneurial ventures. I recently read And then they fired me, by Jannie Mouton

Favourite TV Programme: Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), Empire, Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice

Favourite Food/Drink: Seafood, hummus and Pesto dips

Favourite Music: Alina Baraz and Galimatias

Favourite Sport: I was a hockey player and long distance runner. I enjoy watching swimming, F1 racing and any form of competitive dancing

Favourite Website: www.africasteelholdings.co.za (this is not a joke!)

Hobbies: Entertaining friends and family at home, road trips, scrapbooking, movies, and teaching Sunday school class

Car: Mercedez-Benz G65 AMG – soon; sportiest, nippiest Mercedez-Benz A-Class 180D – current and my runaround forever

Pets: We had two goldfish until recently. Rocco must have infected the tank with miscellaneous items he would drop in for the fish to play with. We woke up one day and they were both afloat

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Women with low self-esteem, who are jealous and vindictive as a result

Favourite Other South African Company: Ntomb’entle and Shumba Football Development

Favourite Foreign Company: Apple

Children: Baraka (Rocco), 5