A member of the African National Congress, he served as chairperson of the ANC's branches in Joubert Park and Vosloorus.

[3] Deputy Minister Mzwandile Masina was nominated as the ANC's mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni for the August 2016 local elections.

After Cyril Ramaphosa was elected president of South Africa in February 2018, he appointed Gungubele as Deputy Minister of Finance.

[9] In June 2021, he became a member of the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry which will determine Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.

[10] During a cabinet reshuffle on 5 August 2021, Ramaphosa appointed Gungubele as Minister in the Presidency, replacing the late Jackson Mthembu, who succumbed to COVID-19 in January.

[12] In January 2022, Ramaphosa designated Gungubele in terms of Section 209(2) of the Constitution to "assume political responsibility for the control and direction" of the State Security Agency.

[15] Gungubele was re-elected to another five-year term on the ANC NEC at the party's 55th National Conference held in December 2022.