He played a crucial role in creating awareness while he served as the chairperson of the school's student representative council (SRC).

He served as Provincial Deputy Secretary of the Western Cape African National Congress branch from 1997 until 2004, while he concurrently worked as head of the fishing desk.

President Jacob Zuma reconfigured the national cabinet in October 2010 and named Fransman as Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, succeeding Sue van der Merwe.

[8] As Chairperson of the African National Congress in the Democratic Alliance-led Western Cape, Fransman came under fire on several occasions before the 2014 general election for his controversial canvassing methods.

He challenged incumbent Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance for the position of Premier at the first sitting of the Fifth Provincial Parliament.

Fransman was alleged to have sexually assaulted Wynand while en route to the African National Congress's 104th birthday celebrations in Rustenburg in January 2016.

[15][16] The party quickly suspended Fransman as chairperson pending an investigation into the alleged assault claims.

On 16 February 2016, it was announced that Magaxa would succeed Fransman as Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

[18][19] In May 2016, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that the charges against Fransman had been dropped due to a lack of evidence.

[20] In June 2016, the African National Congress Women's League stated that the organisation would not support Fransman, as well as his accuser.

[25] In March 2017, Fransman threw his support behind chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay African National Congress branch, Andile Lunigsa, as senior ANC party officials called for Lungisa's resignation.

[28] In December 2018, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that sexual assault claims made by Fransman's accuser, Louisa Wynand, would be investigated.

[29] The sexual assault charges against Fransman were officially dropped in September 2019, after the two parties came to an agreement to settle out of court.