Sheila Peters

Sheila Mary Peters (born 24 March 1972), also spelled Shyla Peters, is a South African politician from Gauteng. A member of the Patriotic Alliance, she served as the province's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Environment from July 2024 until June 2025. She joined the Gauteng Executive Council and Gauteng Provincial Legislature after the May 2024 provincial election and was formerly a community activist in Reiger Park.

Early life and career Peters was born on 24 March 1972 in Eersterust, a township outside Pretoria, where she attended school. She spent most of her adult life in Reiger Park on the East Rand (Ekurhuleni), where she worked in various administrative and sales positions in the private sector, including as a data capturer for FNB.

Political career Peters entered politics informally as a community activist in the Reiger Park Community Forum, a civic group dedicated to neighborhood problems like cable theft, power outages, substance abuse, and poverty. Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi of the African National Congress (ANC) appointed her to the Gauteng Executive Council in July after the PA agreed to support an ANC-led minority government in the provincial legislature. She was named Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Environment, a newly created position.

Personal life Her husband, Buchanan Peters, had a long career at Eskom before he entered the private sector to run construction businesses.