Joel Netshitenzhe

Joel Netshitenzhe
Head of Government Communication and Information System
In office
1998–2006
PresidentNelson Mandela
Thabo Mbeki
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byThemba Maseko
Personal details
Born (1956-12-21) 21 December 1956 (age 67)
Sibasa, Northern Transvaal
Union of South Africa
CitizenshipSouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Alma materSchool of Oriental and African Studies
Occupation
  • Politician
  • strategist
  • anti-apartheid activist

Joel Netshitenzhe (born 21 December 1956) is a South African politician and strategist, known for his policy and communications work for the African National Congress (ANC). He served as head of communications under President Nelson Mandela (1994); head of Government Communication and Information System (1998–2006); and head of the policy unit in the Presidency (2001–2009) under Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, though he was viewed as a particularly close ally of Mbeki's. A former anti-apartheid activist, Netshitenzhe was a member of the ANC National Executive Committee between 1991 and 2022, and he was a member of the ANC's delegation to the negotiations that ended apartheid.