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