Minister Patel is the Minister of Trade and Industry. Ebrahim was appointed on Ma 30, 2019. He was the Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of South Africa and served two terms in this position.

Ebrahim was active for many years in the anti-apartheid and labour movements and in social dialogue institutions. He headed the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU), which provided a range of services and social benefits to workers and their families and built a significant stake in the economy through its investment strategy. He served on the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for a decade, in which capacity he was spokesperson on employment and social policy for many years. He was one of the drafters of the ILO’s Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation in 2008 and a number of ILO policy documents and instruments. Locally, he led the labour team in the finalisation of a number of the country’s labour laws, including the Labour Relations Act in 1995, as well as key economic documents such as the Framework for South Africa’s response to the International Economic Crisis.

Ebrahim studied at the University of the Western Cape and University of Cape Town. He has edited three books, on social dialogue, worker rights and African industrialisation.