Colossal Concrete Products - Women in Industry

Gwen Mahuma-Madida – Chief Executive Officer

Gwen Mahuma-Madida is owner of Mahuma Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd (MIH), an investment company with interests in the steel and Infrastructure sectors.

A BCom Honours graduate, Gwen is a dynamic, proactive entrepreneur and a supporter of women’s empowerment, with a keen sense for opportunities. Her leadership skills are a combination of collaboration, compassion and inspiration to all levels of the business.

She has been involved with private companies since 2004, where she gained ample experience in the fields of strategy formulation and business development, whether it be with regard to manufacturing, business development or board participation specifically in the infrastructure space.

Gwen is a founder and shareholder of BBD Steel, the largest women-owned steel merchant in South Africa, a business which got her and her partner Monika Pretorius named amongst the leading women-owned businesses at the Premier Business Awards in 2018 (sponsored by the DTI).  Her other business, Remkor Manufacturing, is a proudly South African Black Industrialist entity that specialises in the manufacture of complex custom made sheet metal products for the rail, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors.

Gwen originates from Ga-Rankuwa in the north of Pretoria where her family is firmly entrenched in the community. Her corporate social investment initiatives include adopting schools and students that come from both the Ga-Rankuwa and Hebron communities. Gwen believes strongly in the power of collective effort in order to make a difference.

Mmapitso Kiewiet – Chief Operating Officer

Mmapitso Kiewiet is a proudly South African, young entrepreneur who was born in Pretoria. She believes that “success is a journey, not a destination” with a career that started out in marketing research on the agency side in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

This early career path was the springboard that led her to the manufacturing space and entrepreneurship.

As part of CCP, Mmapitso’s favourite thing about working in this sector is that she gets to make a positive impact on the lives of ordinary South Africans, not just today, but for decades to come. “Our concrete poles and masts represent something more than what you see with the naked eye, they represent hope for a community that does not have electrification. The infrastructure is a means to provide Internet connectivity. Our children can now have access to the worldwide web and do well in school, or our brothers and sisters can submit their CVs at any time of the day in order to find a job and provide for their families. Our concrete sleepers provide transportation. With the rising cost of fuel, being able to rely on the rail network for transportation will allow people to reduce their transport costs and use their money towards something else. Our products might be concrete in a physical sense but they also provide endless ‘concrete possibilities’ in how they are used and that is what makes working in this industry so phenomenal.” Mmapitso loves being able to transform the lives of South Africans and Africa at large through the work she does, and being able to do so with other, equally motivated women at the forefront is the cherry on top.

“As an entrepreneur I’m proud to have formed partnerships with people that have the same vision I carry - a unified belief in the future of South Africa and Africa as a whole; a future that not only benefits us but also benefits South Africa and its communities,” she concludes.

Roshini Gopal – Finance Executive

Roshini Gopal’s financial career spans over 37 years in the construction and manufacturing environment.

She studied towards her BCom Accounting degree and largely attributes her success to the knowledge she gained from the multitude of diverse people during her journey.

She believes that Colossal Concrete is strategically positioned and on an upward trajectory, being part of a dynamic and charismatic black women-led management team that strives for excellence in this robust and innovative sector. “Our company has superior operational facilities and a highly skilled and knowledgeable team.”

Roshini relocated from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, to forge her path and cultivate her career in finance, infrastructure and manufacturing having played integral roles in numerous businesses locally and within the SADC region. “At Colossal Concrete, we create a collaborative platform dedicated to the transformation and empowerment of all its stakeholders.”

Her knowledge of accounting and financial principles, processes and practices, is combined with superb organisational acumen and project management experience. The high level of proficiency and strong interpersonal skills acquired during her career allow her to lead her team, harnessing strengths, empowering and providing mentorship, and instilling accountability and discipline.

Her expansive experience sees her offering professional judgement on financial matters and advice on ways of improving business performance, cost management initiatives and delivering business goals.