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03/07/2026

Congratulations to Nelson Mandela University alumnus Yusuf Cassim on his appointment as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, having assumed office on 1 July 2026 under President Cyril Ramaphosa.

 

He is a senior member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and serves as the party's Provincial Chairperson in the Eastern Cape.

Deputy Minister Cassim was also South Africa’s youngest Member of Parliament when he first entered the National Assembly in 2014 at the age of 24.

He served until 2019, whereafter he was a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature to 2026.

Born in Kariega and a BCom graduate, Deputy Minister Cassim served as Student Representative Council President in 2012 and held a leadership role within the Muslim Student Association.

He was an active member of the Madibaz Debating Club and founded and launched the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation at Mandela University, pioneering the organisation’s establishment in the Eastern Cape.

Deputy Minister Cassim is a product of Mandela University’s Student Governance and Development Unit and the University's student leadership ecosystem. “His journey reflects the transformative impact of the leadership opportunities and development afforded to our students,” said Queeny Nqikashe, Acting Director: Student Governance and Development.

Contact information
Ms Elma de Koker
Internal Communication Practitioner
Tel: 041-504 2160
elma.dekoker@mandela.ac.za