Loyiso Masuku Biography
Loyiso Masuku was born on March 23, 1978, in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Masuku pursued further study as an adult. She holds a B-Tech degree from the former Technikon Witwatersrand and completed a postgraduate diploma in African Studies and Public Policy at the University of Johannesburg. She also has shorter certificates in gender mainstreaming and media and stakeholder engagement for municipal leaders. These qualifications supported her move from student politics into a full public service career. Loyiso Masuku is 47 years old as of 2025.
Masuku’s early political life started in campus activism. She was active in the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and later moved into ANC Youth League and ANC Women’s League structures. That path—from student organiser to municipal official—gave her a mix of grassroots political experience and practical administrative skills. Colleagues and local media describe her as hardworking, disciplined and focused on building teams. Her public image combines a steady administrative style with visible loyalty to party structures, a combination that has helped her to move into more senior roles over the years.
Loyiso Masuku Career
Loyiso Masuku’s public service career spans both government offices and party structures. She worked early on in the Office of the Executive Mayor in the City of Ekurhuleni and later served in the Gauteng Office of the Premier. Over time she moved into municipal management roles in Johannesburg, where she became a councillor and then Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC). She served as MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, a portfolio that covered internal administration across many city departments and gave her experience with the practical side of running a big city.
In August 2025 the City of Johannesburg appointed Masuku as MMC for Finance. That posting put her directly in charge of one of the most difficult portfolios in local government: budgets, revenue collection and financial controls. The move came at a moment of deep fiscal stress for Johannesburg, with national government and opposition parties publicly calling for stronger financial oversight. Observers said her selection for finance was a sign that local leaders wanted someone rooted in city administration and party structures to bring discipline to the books.
Beyond her municipal duties, Masuku has always remained active in ANC regional structures. She has served as ANC Youth League regional secretary for Johannesburg and as a leader in the ANC Women’s League, roles that helped her build the networks and influence needed to run for regional office. Supporters point to her mix of party experience and administrative knowledge as a reason she can bridge political expectations and day-to-day governance.
Loyiso Masuku Personal Life
Loyiso Masuku is married to Dr Bandile Masuku, a medical doctor and politician who served as Gauteng’s Health MEC. The couple have three sons. Local reporting and profiles often mention the family but also stress that Loyiso keeps much of her private life out of the headlines and focuses public attention on her work. Her personal story—raised in the Eastern Cape, educated later in life, and rising through student politics—has been part of the way she presents herself: as someone shaped by grassroots struggles, committed to public service, and ready to work quietly to get results.
Like many public figures, Masuku’s private life became public during a high-profile period of scrutiny. That episode tested both her family and career, and it also shaped how voters and party members looked at questions of accountability and fairness.
Loyiso Masuku – Chair of Joburg
On 5 December 2025 Loyiso Masuku won election as regional chairperson of the ANC in Johannesburg. Her victory was narrow but historic: she received 184 votes against Dada Morero’s 149, making her the first woman to lead the ANC in the city. Party delegates described the vote as a reflection of shifting alliances and a desire for new leadership heading into local government elections. Her election immediately changed Johannesburg’s political map because the ANC regional chair in Gauteng carries heavy influence over candidate selection, campaign strategy and coalition building.
Masuku’s elevation to the chair role came soon after her appointment as Finance MMC, which meant she now wore two important hats: a senior party leader in the region and a city official tasked with fixing deep financial problems. National Treasury and other watchdogs had already put pressure on Johannesburg to explain and reduce massive irregular and wasteful spending that had accumulated over the years.
The city’s finances showed high levels of irregular expenditure—figures reported in 2025 mentioned roughly R22.2 billion in cumulative irregular spending and over R705 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure—numbers that explain why national authorities demanded a credible recovery plan. In this context, Masuku’s leadership was seen by supporters as an opportunity to push hard for fiscal discipline, stronger revenue collection, and tighter controls on contracts and budgets.
Her new dual role also sparked debate. Critics argued that combining a powerful party post with the finance portfolio could risk politicising tough fiscal choices. Supporters countered that strong party backing is exactly what a finance MMC needs to implement painful but necessary reforms. Whichever view gains ground, Masuku’s choices as chair and finance MMC are likely to shape Johannesburg’s path to recovery and its performance in the next local elections.
Loyiso Masuku Controversy and Clearance
Masuku’s career has not been free of controversy. In 2020 her name surfaced during investigations into a R125 million personal protective equipment (PPE) tender linked to the Gauteng Health Department while her husband was Health MEC. The story led to calls for several public figures to step aside while probes ran.
Masuku was asked to step aside and later returned to work after investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the ANC provincial structures reportedly found no evidence that she had improperly influenced the tender or personally gained from it. She was formally cleared by the ANC provincial executive committee and subsequently resumed her municipal duties. Although the formal investigations did not find wrongdoing by her, the episode has remained part of public debate whenever her name reappears in political discussions.
That episode is a reminder of the fragile line public servants walk: public trust can be damaged even when investigations clear a person, and the court of public opinion often remembers more than official findings do. For Masuku, the PPE saga became a test of reputation—one that she navigated by returning to public work and continuing to pursue party and municipal leadership roles.
Conclusion
Loyiso Masuku’s mix of student activism, party work and municipal management helped her reach two of the most visible roles in the city: Finance MMC and ANC regional chairperson. Her election as the first female regional chair in Johannesburg is a landmark moment in the city’s political history and places her at the centre of efforts to fix a severe fiscal crisis. The path ahead is difficult: deep budget shortfalls and large amounts of irregular spending mean that tough decisions are necessary.
FAQs
When did Loyiso Masuku become ANC regional chair of Johannesburg and why does it matter?
She was elected on 5 December 2025, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Her election matters because the regional chair helps shape candidate choices and strategy ahead of local elections and can influence how the city is run.
What role does she hold in the City of Johannesburg?
In August 2025 she was appointed MMC for Finance, a role that oversees municipal budgets, revenue and financial controls—critical responsibilities while the city faces major fiscal challenges.
Was Loyiso Masuku linked to the 2020 PPE tender scandal?
Her name came up in reporting about a Gauteng PPE tender in 2020. Investigations by the SIU and ANC provincial structures reportedly found no evidence that she influenced the tender or benefited personally, and she was cleared to return to work.
What are the main financial problems Johannesburg faces that Masuku must address?
Recent reports show very large cumulative irregular and wasteful expenses—figures cited around R22.2 billion in irregular expenditure and more than R705 million in fruitless and wasteful spending—making fiscal discipline and recovery top priorities for the city.
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