Leon van Wyk was born in Oudtshoorn and completed his schooling in Worcester. He graduated with a BCom from UCT with joint majors in Accounting and Economics, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1981. He then joined the Industrial Development Corporation as an investigating accountant and later specialised in corporate finance with Rand Merchant Bank, Societe Generale and various owner-run boutique operations advising public and private companies across most economic sectors on strategy, mergers & acquisitions, capital raisings and economic development projects. He later co-founded a commercial property venture with Nedbank.
He re-located to George at the end of 2010, becoming a DA ward councillor in 2011 for the Wilderness ward. He was MMC for Finance from 2011 to 2016 with George Municipality receiving clean audits from 2012 to 2017. In May 2020, he was elected as Executive Mayor and commenced with the turnaround to restore clean governance and sound administration. During the 2020-21 financial year there has been a focussed effort to accelerate capital spending to complete a 66% increase in waste-water treatment capacity and to secure funding for a 50% increase in water treatment capacity. These endeavours have resulted in the approval of a R1,1bn grant facility that will also include the complete refurbishment of the secondary city’s three largest sewer pump stations.
On being re-elected in November, Leon’s team will also focus on projects to procure alternative energy to reduce reliance on Eskom electricity, investigate electricity provision to informal settlements, drive economic development, promote tourism, the provision of subsidised and entry-level housing; and ongoing service delivery improvements.