Political leader, business speaker, and governance reform advocate
Leadership forums, business conferences, public policy events, governance and ethics platforms
Herman Mashaba’s life story is one of resilience, self-determination, and principled leadership. Growing up in a small village outside Pretoria during apartheid, he lost his father at the age of two and learned independence early. When his formal studies were disrupted by state security forces during the liberation struggle, Mashaba made a decisive pivot into entrepreneurship, laying the foundation for an extraordinary business career.
Over several decades, Mashaba built a diversified business empire spanning cosmetics, construction, real estate, retail, energy, and financial services. His entrepreneurial success and contribution to South African business earned him an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the Central University of Technology in 2013. Alongside his business interests, he served as Chair of the Free Market Foundation, promoting classical liberal values such as personal liberty, economic freedom, and the rule of law.
In 2015, Mashaba transitioned from business into public service, entering politics as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg. Following the historic 2016 local government elections, he was elected Executive Mayor, leading a seven-party coalition with a mandate to reform, restore accountability, and improve service delivery.
Herman Mashaba grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Pretoria during the dark days of apartheid South Africa. Mashaba embraced independence early in life, having lost his father at the age of two. When his studies were interrupted by state security forces during the struggle against apartheid, Mashaba decided to pursue a career as an entrepreneur instead.
Over the ensuing decades he built a business empire that included companies in the cosmetics, construction, real estate, retail, energy and financial services fields. His success earned him an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the Central University of Technology in 2013.
During this time, Mashaba also chaired the Free Market Foundation – a public benefit organisation founded on classical liberal principles with the aim to promote and foster an open, democratic society based on the rule of law, personal liberty, and economic freedom.
In 2015, Mashaba decided that he was no longer satisfied with being an armchair critic and entered politics as Mayoral Candidate for the City of Johannesburg for the DA, South Africa’s largest opposition party.
In the historic election of 2016, Mashaba was elected as the Executive Mayor of a 7-party multi-party coalition government with a mandate for change.
Herman Mashaba stepped-back from corporate life in order to focus fulltime on leading the City government. He has received acclaim for his hands-on approach to service delivery, innovative partnerships with the private sector, and zero-tolerance for corruption and maladministration.
Herman Mashaba corporate approach to municipal governance introduced a new era in the City as Mashaba worked to turn the corner on the decay and deterioration that had become associated with Johannesburg. In doing so he won the hearts and minds of the City’s residents, who recognised his desire to serve the residents of the City and to get Joburg working.
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