Makhubele served as the Acting Speaker in Joburg City and led the State of the City Address (SOCA) in April 2022.
Cllr Colleen Makhubele is a 43-year-old South African businessperson, politician, and entrepreneur. She advocates for women’s empowerment and serves as a speaker of the Johannesburg council.
The Giyani-born became the elected new speaker of the metro in 2022. She is a member of the council and the City of Joburg chair of chairs. She defeated DA’s Alex Christians with twelve votes.
Colleen is the founder of the Mzumbe Group. She was responsible for the company’s ICT, energy and manufacturing.
| Colleen Makhubele | |
|---|---|
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| Short Profile | |
| Full name: | Colleen Makhubele |
| Age: | 43 years old |
| Place of birth: | Giyani, Limpopo |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Education: | Business Administration |
| Alma mater: | University of South Africa |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Politician, entrepreneur, businesswoman |
| Political Party: | Congress of the People (COPE) |
| Office: | Speaker of the City of Joburg |
Early Life
Colleen Makhubele was born in Giyani in the Northeastern Limpopo Province of South Africa. She had her primary school education to her tertiary education in South Africa.
Her mother was a nurse, and her father was a teacher. She lost her father to a car accident at the age of 16 years. She is the third of four siblings and grew up in a middle-class family.
Her parents pursued small business interests, and she and her siblings had to help. There was a spaza, so they sold popcorn or ice blocks after school.
Her father’s demise in 1995 led to financial challenges for her family. But they found solace and assistance in church. She became born-again and spent a lot of time in church.
Education
Makhubele has a diploma in Business Administration. She also has a project management Certificate from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She furthered and received certifications from Stellenbosch University.
Colleen holds Investment Foundation Certification, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Finance for Non-Financial Managers Certification.
The politician completed a Master’s Degree program in Business Administration. She holds the certification from Milpark Business College. The Da Vinci Institute is where she studies for a doctor of philosophy degree in innovation and technology management.
Cllr Colleen studied for an honors degree in IT IT (Bachelor IT: Information Systems Engineering) at Multimedia University, Malaysia.
Career
Colleen belongs to the nonprofit company Institute of Directors South Africa and is a trustee of the HCL Foundation Trust. She was the Chairperson of the Metropolitan Trading Company in the City.
Cllr Colleen was the Chairperson and Non-Executive Director at the South African Post Office. She is one of the founders of the Mzumbe Group of Companies in 2009.
Makhubele was the first to serve as the company’s CEO and oversought its ICT, Energy, and Manufacturing portfolios. She was the Company Secretary for YellowTrain Investments.
Many times, she has held notable positions and has chaired many projects. She presided over establishing the Project Management Office (PMO/PMU). She has worked in the private and public sectors.
Colleen represented South African women in business at the USA Fortune 500 Global Women Mentorship Program, founded by Hillary Clinton. She advocates for women’s empowerment and has motivated many women through her words and works.
Makhubele is a Cope member of the council and City of Joburg chair of chairs. She was the elected new speaker of the metro after defeating DA’s Alex Christians. She won with a twelve-vote margin after getting 141 votes, while Christians got 129. The council has 270 seats, and all councilors were present.
In April 2023, Joburg mayor Thapelo Amad and speaker Colleen Makhubele were facing motions of no confidence against them. They faced two motions individually, the first from ActionSA, and the DA sponsored the other.
Mosiuoa Lekota and Colleen appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for removing a Tshwane councilor in May 2023. They faced a court application filed by the former Tshwane councilor Justice Thabang Sefanyetso.
Political Journey
Colleen Makhubele belongs to the political party Congress of the People (COPE). She was the party’s flagbearer during the 2021 City of Johannesburg Mayoral election.
The female political juggernaut has been in politics for many years. Makhubele has continued to grow in politics and wants to make Johannesburg a better place to live. Her ideology is that the City needs professionals, not politicians.
Before emerging as the speaker, she had acted as Deputy Speaker and was chair of chairs of the council for the City of Johannesburg.
Colleen Makhubele won the 2022 election and became the new speaker of the City Council. She has been the Cope flagbearer for many positions.
Personal Life
Cllr Colleen Makhubele is married for over fifteen years and spends her time off duty with her husband and children. The couple has two children, both are male. She is a Christian.
Her love for reading has helped her gain broader knowledge across many topics, which has helped her political ambition.