Kobus Marais

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For the rugby union player, see Kobus Marais (rugby union).
Kobus Marais
MP
Kobus-marais.jpg
Shadow Minister of Economic Development
Incumbent
Assumed office
2014
LeaderHelen Zille
Preceded bySej Motau
Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration
In office
2012–2014
Preceded byAnchen Dreyer
Succeeded by
Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry
Succeeded byTim Harris
Personal details
Born (1959-06-26) 26 June 1959 (age 62)
Worcester, Western Cape
NationalitySouth African
Political partyDemocratic Alliance

Kobus Marais is a South African politician, Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance, and the current Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.[1]

Education and family life[]

Marais was born on 26 June 1959 as Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais[2] in Worcester, Western Cape, where he lives with his wife and two children. He obtained a Bachelors of Economic and a Master of Business and Administration degree from Stellenbosch University.[3] He also studied at the Cape Wine Academy and completed a Master Mentorship Course with the Department of Agriculture.

Early career[]

He started his career in corporate banking and went on to work in the wine industry in 1989 in various capacities including a partnership in a wine exports business. He then formed his own consultancy, BEFCOM, which specialised in business and marketing strategy, international trade and Black Economic Empowerment (charters, codes of good practice, Agri-agreements, BEE charters, industry scorecards, etc.).[4]

In 2006, Marais worked for the VinPro BEE Advisory Service, representing about 5,000 wine producers in promoting Black Economic Development at farm level.

Political career[]

He has been involved in politics in the Western Cape for many years, first serving as councillor and mayor in Rawsonville from 1995 to 2000 and then again as a Democratic Alliance councillor from 2000 to 2006, where he was nominated as the Mayoral Candidate for the 2006 Election. He has also held several other positions in the Western Cape Provincial structures, including Breede Valley Local Management Committee Chairperson, Breede River Valley Constituency Chairperson, Western Region Treasurer, Member of the Western Cape Provincial Executive Committee and Western Cape Provincial Treasurer.[5] Marais was elected to Parliament in 2006 where he served as the DA’s spokesperson on Finance until 2009.[6] He was also the DA spokesperson on disability until 2009 and is very involved in the community, particularly with disability-related organisations. Upon his re-election to Parliament in 2009, Kobus was appointed as the Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry. In September 2010 he was reassigned to be the Shadow Minister of Economic Development and the Deputy Shadow Minister of Finance.[4]

He was the President of Disability Sport South Africa(DISSA) and serves on the Governing Board of South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee(SASCOC), was recently elected as Vice-President of African Sport Confederation for Disabled(ASCOD), and also serves on the NEC of South African Sport Association for the Physically Disabled(SASAPD), as well as holding numerous other positions on the boards of disabled sport organisations.

Current political positions[]

Kobus currently serves as the DA's Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ "Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  2. ^ "Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  3. ^ "Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  4. ^ a b "Kobus DA Page". Archived from the original on 2011-09-21.
  5. ^ "Kobus Who's Who".
  6. ^ "Kobus On SA Budget".
  7. ^ "Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2020-09-18.

Offices held[]

Political offices
Preceded by
 Shadow Minister of Economic Development
2010–present 		Incumbent
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