Mr Zuko Godlimpi was appointed as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition from 3 July 2024.
His political activism began while he was a university student and was intensified when he joined the South African Students Congress (SASCO). His passion for economics and policy development shaped his professional career.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree from the University of South Africa and Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree from the University of Pretoria.
He was the Regional Secretary of SASCO, Western Region, in the Eastern Cape from 2010 to 2011. He was the Eastern Cape Spokesperson of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) from 2021 to 2022, and has since 2022 been a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC. He also served as Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Transformation Subcommittee of the ANC.
After serving as the National Policy Coordinator of the ANCYL from 2013 to 2014, Mr Godlimpi worked as Economic Researcher in the Office of the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry from 2014 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019, he was a Senior Specialist: Speechwriting and Council Liaison at the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
From 2019 to 2022, he worked as Adviser in the Office of the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) before being appointed Acting Senior Manager: Transversal Mainstreaming Focal Person in the GPL.
Before becoming a Member of Parliament in 2024, Mr Godlimpi worked as Chief of Staff in the Eastern Cape office of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2022 to 2023, and as Special Adviser in the Office of the Eastern Cape Premier from 2023 to 2024.
