Tasneem's early career involved managing the local branch of the African National Congress in Laudium, Pretoria, during the first democratic election.
She joined the Office of The Presidency (under former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela), as a communication researcher, primarily responsible for establishing media monitoring systems and speech writing.
She served in The Presidency of Thabo Mbeki for the duration of his first term, as Deputy Director: Media Liaison.
Tasneem managed the first Presidential Imbizo in the then Northern Province and Eastern Cape, aimed at focused and direct communication between government and the people. Her project-management skills and experience in community activism helped facilitate engagement with the various communities.
In 2002, Tasneem was appointed Acting Director: Communication for the City of Johannesburg, managing the media relations team through the city’s successful hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Tasneem was then appointed Taxpayer Education Manager at the South African Revenue Service (SARS), where she established the unit and its functions at national level to disseminate critically-needed information to taxpayers.
In 2003, Tasneem was appointed Communication and Marketing Manager at SARS, managing for its first three years’ filing season campaigns aimed at raising levels of tax compliance and responsible citizenship in South Africa.
In 2004, Tasneem’s team won the Government Communicator of the Year Award for SARS' filing season campaign of that year. Her knowledge in applying market and perception research guided the direction of several SARS communication strategies.
Tasneem holds an Honours degree in Sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand, has completed the Management Advancement Programme at Wits Business School, the Senior Management Development Programme at GIBS, and a course in International Relations at the Clingendael Institute of The Hague.
Tasneem joined GCIS as Chief Director: Policy & Media Analysis and Research in October 2007.