Pinagare Mogodi is a South African born businessman and CEO of his self-founded multi-billion Rand mining company, Matsapa-A-Botshelo. But he wasn’t always wealthy, and nor was he born into an empire of any kind.
Struggling through post-apartheid South Africa, Mr. Mogodi was chased out of various boardrooms, many of which he was the only young black businessman at the table. His ideas were rejected and his solutions were discarded of.
As times changed, so did he, and so did the lens of the audience.
Humble beginnings
Mr. Mogodi grew up in a small home in South Africa. He had a loving mother who worked multiple jobs just to provide him with an opportunity to go to school and try to fit in with the rich kids. His father was absent most of the time, and even when he was around, he was angry, drunk, abusive. This beginning marked a painful era for Mr. Mogodi.
He had a rich uncle who he observed closely (Ignatius Oupa Mphomane). Studying his behaviors, mannerisms, and inner circles. Pinagare looked up to this uncle and aspired to be an honorable man like him. He learned under his wing, studied his business model, and gained his first business insights from this relationship.
A humble company
Matsapa‑A‑Botshelo (MAB) officially started in 2010 under Mr. Mogodi’s leadership. The early years of his business were marked by financial hurdles and project setbacks, yet his resilience and long-term vision were pivotal in steering the company through adversity. He has two children, and reports having struggled to pay for their school fees during these years.
Construction served to be the basis that built his business which is now predominantly focused on mining with newer developments in the telecoms and energy sector.
Today, the group owns three mines, each with a lifespan exceeding 30 years, and employs over 500 people (both directly and indirectly). While operating the construction business in South Africa, they reportedly completed 512 projects before shifting purely into mining.
Pinagare’s venture into mining
The mining industry is known as South Africa’s largest sector, and consists of some of the world’s most expensive asset classes. Mining requires a degree of geological, chemical, financial and economic acumen, especially in Mr. Mogodi’s case where the volatile export markets are a violent market to navigate for junior miners.
MAB undertakes opencast mining along with crushing, screening, and bulk earthworks. The company markets both washed and unwashed coal, with blending options supplied against SCoTA/RB grades (RB1 – RB4). For chrome, MAB states it has distributed beneficiation facilities with a secured 135,000 tonnes per month ROM feed, a 90,000 tonnes per month concentrate output capacity, and a total processing capacity of 250,000 tonnes per month including tailings. These volumes place MAB among the strongest performers in South Africa’s junior mining sector.
The company has steadily expanded its logistics network to manage its growing output. More than 500 employees are directly employed, supported by contractors and third-party workers along the export chain. With a fleet of 150 leased trucks and access to nearly 700 subcontractor vehicles, MAB moves ore from pit to plant, to siding, and ultimately to port. Coal is exported primarily through Richards Bay Coal Terminal and the Multi-Purpose Terminal, while chrome exports have also been reported through Durban.
MAB’s resources are drawn from South Africa’s most important mineral regions: coal from the Karoo Supergroup coalfields and chrome from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in the Steelpoort Valley. With a supply chain structured around Asian and European demand, Richards Bay remains the primary export hub, while Mogodi has signalled intentions to expand commercial operations into India. The company’s integrated approach – combining mining, processing, and logistics – has made it a reliable supplier in the international commodities market.
Billions of Rands later, vertical integrations
In 2025, MAB began pursuing vertical integrations that stretch its business model far beyond mining. MAB Energy, its new fuel supply arm, is rolling out diesel import and storage infrastructure across Africa, while MAB Connect, the IT and connectivity division, is targeting over 100,000 learners in underserved provinces with affordable internet, and continues to show keen interest in externalizing his logistics operations that have thus far only been preserved for internal use.
Backed by new shareholders, the company’s market valuation has doubled to R11.3 billion. For Mogodi, these moves are not only about scaling revenue but about building interconnected ecosystems that will power fleets, educate future generations, and cement MAB’s place as a continental force in mining and beyond.
For Mogodi, the journey has never been just about profit. It has been about purpose, uplifting people, creating jobs, and proving that the future of African industry can be written by African leaders themselves. His legacy, still in the making, is proof that even from the most difficult beginnings, it is possible to build a business that powers nations and inspires generations.
