Herman Mashaba's biography: net worth, age, wife, children, education, and views
Herman Mashaba is a South African entrepreneur, politician, and president of ActionSA. Mashaba formed his political party in August 2020 and once served as the Mayor of Johannesburg. He is also the founder of Black Like Me, a hair product company. Read Herman Mashaba's biography today.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Many people consider Herman Mashaba's biography inspirational. The South African politician and entrepreneur has achieved a lot in his life. He rose from poverty into one of the wealthiest South Africans today. Discover more about him today.
Profile summary
Full name | Herman Samtseu Philip Mashaba |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 6 August 1959 |
Age | 64 years (as of June 2024) |
Place of birth | Hammanskraal, Transvaal, Union of South Africa |
Current residence | Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa |
Nationality | South African |
Ethnicity | Black |
Zodiac sign | Virgo |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Hair colour | Black |
Eye colour | Black |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Connie Mashaba |
Children | 2 |
Profession | Politician and entrepreneur |
@hermanspmashaba | |
X | @HermanMashaba |
@Herman Mashaba |
Who is Herman Mashaba?
Herman Samtseu Philip Mashaba is a famous politician and entrepreneur. He served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from 2016 to 2019. He is the president of ActionSA, a political party he founded on 29 August 2020.
How old is Herman Mashaba?
Herman Mashaba's age is 64 years as of June 2024. He was born on 6 August 1959, and his Zodiac sign is Virgo.
Where is Herman Mashaba originally from?
The politician was born and raised in Hammanskraal, Transvaal, Union of South Africa. He grew up in a resource-poor setting in GaRamotse in Hammanskraal.
His sisters raised him as his mother sought odd jobs to provide for her children. His elder brother dropped out of school at 15 to seek menial jobs.
What is Herman Mashaba's parents' nationality?
Herman Mashaba's parents' nationality is South African, and so is his. His father died when he was 42 years old, leaving his mother to fend for her children in South Africa.
Herman Mashaba's education history
The South African politician completed his primary education in a local school in Hammanskraal. Growing up, he knew that education would be the key out of poverty. Therefore, he pressed on and obtained his secondary-level certificate but did not complete his tertiary education.
Career
Herman Mashaba's first job was as a clerk at a furniture manufacturer called Spar. He saved up money from his salary and bought a car after two years.
He left Spar and started selling SuperKurl African hair-care products. He soon realised that hair products were his passion, and he was not content being an employee.
In February 1985, he partnered with Johan Kriel, a colleague from SuperKurl, and salesman Joseph Molwantwa to create Black Like Me, a hair care company. The three got an R30,000 loan from businessman Walter Dube.
Later on, the entrepreneur bought out Black Like Me from Kriel and Molwantwa. Herman Mashaba's business grew in leaps and bounds.
In 2002, Herman Mashaba's company, Be Like Me, launched in the United Kingdom, making him the first CEO of the first SA company to sell its products to the UK and other international markets.
Over the years, he ventured into other sectors of the economy. Herman Mashaba's companies deal in real estate, aviation, security, IT, mining, and construction.
Political career
In 2012, Herman Mashaba became the chairperson of the Free Market Foundation. He held the position until May 2014, when he stepped down to become a member of the Democratic Alliance.
In December 2015, he accepted a City of Johannesburg mayoral candidacy nomination from the Democratic Alliance. The other nominee was Rabelani Dagada.
On 3 August 2016, the elections for the mayor were held, and ANC lost its majority in Johannesburg. Democratic Alliance allied forces with the Economic Freedom Fighters. The two parties agreed to vote for Herman Mashaba as the Mayor of Johannesburg.
On 22 August 2016, Mashaba was sworn in as the Mayor of Johannesburg. He resigned from the position on 27 November 2019 because of disputes in the leadership of the Democratic Alliance party.
Following his resignation from being a mayor, the politician created The People's Dialogue, a platform for interacting with ordinary South Africans. People discussed social and civil issues on the platform.
On 29 August 2020, the politician launched his political party called ActionSA. His party received large sums of money claimed to be from his pockets, supporters, and donors. He is the president of ActionSA.
Besides being a politician and entrepreneur, Mashaba is the author of the books listed below.
- Black Like You: An Autobiography
- The Outsider: The Unauthorised Biography Of Herman Mashaba
Is Herman Mashaba a billionaire?
The politician and entrepreneur is alleged to be a Rand billionaire. Herman Mashaba's net worth (alleged) is about $100 million or R1.836 billion. He is among the wealthiest people in South Africa today.
Who is Herman Mashaba married to?
Herman Mashaba's wife is Connie Mashaba. The two have two children together. On 3 March 2024, the South African politician celebrated 42 years of marriage with his wife through a post on IG with the following caption:
Today, I celebrate 42 years of marriage to Connie Mashaba. I am so grateful that on the 3rd of March 1982, God gave me the wisdom to make this commitment to you. Each day with you reminds me of the blessing and strength you bring into my life. Your grace and resilience inspire me constantly. Thank you for everything, my love.
Allegations of xenophobia
The politician has made multiple public comments that have been considered xenophobic. He once said his home country had "nothing to apologise for" when referring to xenophobic violence that happened during his tenure as the mayor of Johannesburg.
Trivia
- As a music lover, Mashaba took piano lessons for five years and is now a pianist.
- He criticised ANC for refusing to cut ties with Russia after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
- He supports the reintroduction of the death penalty in South Africa for rape and murder.
- He reportedly attended a sensitivity programme on diversity by the Human Rights Commission.
Herman Mashaba's biography is inspirational. The politician and entrepreneur rose from poverty to riches through hard work. He serves as the president of ActionSA.
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Source: Briefly News
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Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com