Born in 1963, Eugene Johnson spent most of her formative years in Arcadia in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha. In 1980 she left Arcadia High School, and over the next 40 years she completed an impressive
stint in both local and national government and also the private sector.
She entered politics as a NAAWU shop steward at the tender age of 17 years and just three years later, Johnson was elected as a national executive member of NAAWU, becoming the first female deputy president responsible for gender at NUMSA. Her tenure in South African national unionism would span over a decade.
In 1994, Johnson was employed at Auto Plastics. Over the next fifteen years she built extensive experience in finance and corporate governance in the private sector. Johnson served as founding member of the Institute of Retirement Funds of South Africa, chaired the Board of Trustees of Auto Plastics and Faurecia Employees Provident Funds, and headed Auto Plastics and Faurecia’s Employment Equity and Skills Development Boards.
Johnson served as branch chairperson of Ward 7 and cluster co-ordinator of ANC branches in the northern areas of Gqeberha. Between 2001 and 2009, Johnson served on the ANC Nelson Mandela Regional Executive Committee. In 2010 she was elected to the National Executive Committee of the South African National Civic Organisation and served in the ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Women's
League from 2015 to 2018.
She was elected to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal Council in 2005. On leaving the Council in 2010, Johnson joined Statistics South Africa and served on the National Economic Development and Labour Council of South Africa. In 2016 she was an aide in the Office of the ANC Parliamentary Chief Whip.
Between 2017 and 2020, Johnson would put her experience in governance and administration to use as an entrepreneur, consultant and corporate governance expert, inter alia as consultant for The Ubutyebi Trust and Chairperson of the Donkin Hospital Board and the Gelvandale Frail Care Board.
Johnson is the proud mother of three children, Davidene, Ryan and Almo, and grandmother to five grandchildren. She is a devout Christian, deeply rooted in her religious teaching of justice for the poor,
compassion for the vulnerable and service to the needy.
Johnson holds an Advanced Certificate in Local Government Law and Administration from the University
of Fort Hare (2011); a certificate in Project Management and Conflict Resolution from the Nelson
Mandela University (2007); and a Certificate in Accounting and Business Supervision from the Institute
of Business Studies (1998).
