Maape earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in psychology and economics from the University of South Africa which he completed while imprisoned on Robben Island.
In February 1986 Maape was convicted of propagating the communist aims of the ANC, though acquitted of the main terrorism charge and imprisoned at Robben Island.
Maape served on the Ministerial Advisory Committee of the Department of Provincial and Local Government and was a member of the Municipal Demarcation Board from the North West Province.
This instruction came after Mokgoro had refused to resign as premier earlier in the year after he was accused of being responsible for the poor state of local municipalities in the province.
Maape was selected over two other potential candidates for premier: the speaker of the provincial legislature Sussana Dantjie and the finance member of the executive council Motlalepula Rosho.
An ANC MPL needed to resign in order for Maape to be sworn in as a member of the provincial legislature and then be elected premier.
[13][14] During a full sitting of the North West Provincial Legislature on 7 September 2021, Maape was elected as premier, despite a challenge from the DA's Winston Rabotapi.