Mkhuseli “Khusta” Jack is a veteran leader of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, as well as a businessman and political figure. Born in 1957 in Humansdorp, Eastern Cape, he grew up in a large family and became active in student organizing during the 1970s.
Jack was a member of the South African Students’ Movement (SASM) and the Congress of South African Students (COSAS). In 1983, he co-founded the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress (PEYCO) and helped launch the United Democratic Front (UDF) — a coalition that became one of the most powerful forces against apartheid. Through the UDF, he played a leading role in the Consumer Boycott Campaigns of the 1980s, mobilizing entire communities to withhold purchases from white-owned businesses until political demands were met. His leadership made him a frequent target of state repression; he was detained, banned, and placed under a five-year restriction order.
After apartheid, Jack earned an Honours degree in Economics and Development Studies from the University of Sussex (UK) and built a successful career in business, serving on several corporate boards and authoring the book To Survive and Succeed. From 2022 to 2023, he served as Deputy Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.
His legacy continues through his lifelong commitment to justice, both in civic activism and in his work for sustainable community development.