Mohammed Mayet

If someone came to you tomorrow with R100m to invest in just one company, which would it be?

Investing in a single company is a risky strategy. I would prefer buying shares in a diversified basket of companies, which would protect me from market volatility over the long term.

Which talent would you most like to have?

The power to instantly learn, speak and understand any language. Multilingualism is almost a superpower.

What was your first job?

At the age of 14 I took up a holiday job as a salesman at a clothing retail store. The salary was R40 a day, which was a lot of money for me at the time. I worked the entire December holiday and used the proceeds to buy a Nokia 3310 cellphone. Regrettably, it was stolen a week later.

If you could fix one thing in SA today, what would it be?

The disparity between rich and poor. The gap in education, skill and income appears to be widening, and a large number of people are living below the poverty line. I think we South Africans owe it to ourselves to give back to underprivileged communities through sustainable education initiatives.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made?

Pursuing my passion for the culinary arts by registering as a part-time student at chef school. It’s been a gruelling course, but very rewarding.