Meet the man in the executive hot-seat

Meet the man who was recently elected as the City of Johannesburg’s new Executive Mayor.

Who is Herman Mashaba? He introduces himself as an entrepreneur who loves his country, who had a dream of becoming mayor of the city he has lived and worked in for more than two decades.

“I wanted to give young South Africans the same opportunities I had to make a success of themselves,” he said.

Herman was born in GaRamotse in Hammanskraal, and was no stranger to poverty and hunger. “I remember having to drink water to stave off the hunger,” he said with a sad look in his eyes.

Growing up wasn’t easy for Herman as he lost his father when he was two years old. This meant that his mother had to work as a domestic. She was away from home for long periods of time, to ensure there was food on the table. The family did not have its own house – instead they lived in the homes of migrant workers while the workers were away.

Mashaba said, “While this was not the most stable environment, it gave me a sense of independence from a young age.”

He always knew education was the key to success and he worked hard to be accepted at the University of the North where he wanted to study for a Bachelor’s degree in public administration and political science. His dream of earning a degree was shattered in his second year when circumstances forced him to drop out and start working.

He started his career at the age of 19, but was only a salaried worker for 30 months of his life. He did not like working for somebody else, but it gave him the experience he needed to take the next step, which was starting his own business.

In 1982, he set himself up as a commission-only sales representative and sold various products from the boot of his Toyota Corolla. In 1983, he began focussing on hair care products, and two years later he started the Black Like me range of products – with a R30 000 loan and the help of his wife and three other partners.

The first factory was in GaRankua. They had 100 employees and they manufactured the products themselves. In 1989, he built his own factory in Mabopane Township, and as they say, the rest was history.

Herman was interested in politics from an early age. He felt that a free and democratic South Africa was impossible to achieve and one of his happiest memories is being able to make his mark in the 1994 elections.

But the passing of time and a few things happening in the country made him decide to stop being an armchair critic, and act. He announced his DA mayoral candidacy – and it has been a whirlwind journey since.

He does not have a lot of free time, but when he does have a moment, he likes to play golf and tennis. He also plays the piano on occasion.

Family is important, and he makes sure to spend time with Connie, his wife of 34 years, and their two children Rhulani, 19, and Nkhesani, 21.

He concluded the interview with the following words, “I am delighted with the fact that I have been given the opportunity to serve the people of this city. It is going to take time to get this city working again but together we will bring the change I have promised.”

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