JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Elevation News) — Pinagare Mogodi, the self-made South African entrepreneur and founder of Matsapa-A-Botshelo (MAB), has built one of the country’s most successful black-owned mining companies, an enterprise now valued at over R11.3 billion. From humble beginnings in post-apartheid South Africa to leading a continental powerhouse, his journey is a story of resilience, innovation, and African ambition.
Born into poverty, Mogodi grew up in a small township home with a hardworking mother and an absent, often abusive father. “Those years were hard,” he has said, “but they taught me determination.” His mother juggled several jobs to send him to school, giving him a glimpse of what perseverance could achieve. His entrepreneurial instincts were shaped under the mentorship of his uncle, Ignatius Oupa Mphomane, a respected businessman who taught him the foundations of discipline, finance, and integrity.
In the early 2000s, breaking into South Africa’s corporate world as a young black entrepreneur was no easy feat. Boardrooms were unwelcoming, and Mogodi’s ideas were often dismissed. Yet, his persistence became his strength. “Rejection became my teacher,” he later said.
He founded Matsapa-A-Botshelo in 2010, starting small in the construction sector. Over time, the company completed more than 500 infrastructure projects, laying the groundwork for what would become one of South Africa’s fastest-growing mining and energy groups.
Mogodi’s big breakthrough came when MAB pivoted into mining operations, specialising in coal and chrome extraction, crushing, screening, and bulk earthworks. Today, the group owns three operational mines with lifespans exceeding 30 years and directly employs over 500 workers, supported by hundreds more through contractors and logistics partners.
The company’s chrome operations produce up to 250,000 tonnes per month, while its coal is exported to markets in Asia and Europe through Richards Bay Coal Terminal and Durban’s Multi-Purpose Terminal. MAB sources its coal from the Karoo Supergroup coalfields and chrome from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in the Steelpoort Valley, two of South Africa’s richest mineral belts.
With a logistics network of over 850 vehicles, including 150 leased trucks, MAB manages its entire supply chain from pit to port, positioning itself among the most efficient junior mining companies in southern Africa.
In 2025, MAB began diversifying beyond mining with a bold plan to integrate its operations across Africa’s industrial landscape. Through MAB Energy, the company is developing fuel import and storage infrastructure to strengthen Africa’s energy independence. Meanwhile, MAB Connect, its technology and telecoms arm, aims to connect over 100,000 learners in underserved provinces with affordable internet access, a project that merges digital inclusion with social impact.
For Mogodi, these ventures are about more than diversification. “Mining gave us capital, but purpose gives us direction,” he explained. “Africa’s progress depends on how we use industry to educate, connect, and empower our people.”
Backed by new investors, MAB’s market valuation has doubled, positioning it as one of South Africa’s most dynamic black-owned industrial conglomerates.
Mogodi’s leadership philosophy is rooted in purpose-driven capitalism, a belief that profit must serve progress. His long-term goal is to make Matsapa-A-Botshelo a fully integrated ecosystem spanning mining, logistics, energy, and digital technology.
The company’s success also reflects a broader shift in African business: local entrepreneurs building global-scale industries that rival traditional international players. “It was never just about money,” Mogodi said. “It’s about proving that African excellence can shape the world economy.”
From a young boy watching his mother struggle to make ends meet to becoming one of South Africa’s most influential business leaders, Pinagare Mogodi embodies the new face of African entrepreneurship, bold, visionary, and unshakably determined. His story stands as proof that from the hardest beginnings can emerge businesses that power nations and inspire generations.
