Mr Lionel October was appointed Director-General of the Department of Trade and Industry from 21 April 2011.

Lionel October was appointed the Acting Director-General (DG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in South Africa on 01 January 2011. Prior to his appointment as DG, he served as the Deputy Director-General (DDG) responsible for the enterprise and economic development portfolio, and served as an Economic and Trade diplomat at the South African Embassy in Brussels from 2007 to 2011. He was instrumental in key trade negotiations with the European Union.

Under his leadership as the DDG, the dti has spearheaded key industrial and enterprise development policies such as the National Industrial Policy Framework and Action Plan, and the development and implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment legislation, to name a few.

• Director-General of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa.

• University of London, Masters degree in Economics
• University of the Western Cape, Legal Degree

• As an experienced Economist, he held various senior positions related to trade unions, including being appointed as the General Secretary of the South African Clothing and Textile Union.
• He previously served on boards of a number of public policy bodies and government agencies, such as the IDC and the COEGA Development Corporation.