• Date of Birth: 10 November 1959.
• ​Married to Suzette, son Christiaan and daughter Maryke.

Current Positions

• Minister of Tourism of the Republic of South Africa since May 2009.

Academic Qualifications

• Matriculated from Pietersburg High School, Polokwane (1977);
• B Proc degree from the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), now the University of Johannesburg (UJ);
• Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Political Science from RAU, now the UJ;
• Masters of Arts degree in Political Science from RAU, now the UJ.

Career/Memberships/Positions/Other Activities

• Lecturer in Political Science at RAU (now the UJ) and University of Stellenbosch;
• Member of Parliament since 1990;
• Premier of Western Cape Province (21 June 2002 - 28 April 2004);
• Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of South Africa from April 2004 to April 2009.

 Awards/Decorations/Presentations/Bursaries

• Chairperson of the Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industry Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF) for the 2010-2011 period;
• Serves on the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism n (UNWTO) since October 2009;
• In February 2010, chaired the inaugural meeting of the T.20 Tourism Ministers, and hosted the UNWTO Summit on Sport, Tourism and Mega-events in Johannesburg.
• Recognised as Africa’s Tourism Minister of the Year at the Africa Investor Awards in February 2008;
• Member of the Legacy and Legal committee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup;
• Board member of the International Marketing Council;
• Director of the Business Trust, an initiative that combines the resources of the government and business to create jobs, build capacity and combat poverty;
• Award for Academic Achievement of the Transvaal Lawyers' Association in 1980;
• Abe Bailey Bursary to Great Britain and Europe in 1983.