Lionel Louw is the former Head of Department and Associate Professor, Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.   He left the university in 2004 to accept the invitation to become the Chief of Staff in the office of the Premier of the Western Cape Province, and position he held until 2008.  From 2009 to 2012 he was the National Director of the Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust, an organisation that promotes dialogue.  He is currently the minister of Community of Faith, a congregation in Stellenbosch.

During his career Dr Louw chaired the Western Province Council of Churches, served on the Executive Committee of the South African Council of Churches under then Bishop Desmond Tutu.  He was an active member in the liberation struggle and was detained without trial during 1985.  He served on the boards of several organisations such as the Independent Development Trust and World Vision.  He was President of the South African Council for Social Service Professions and represented South Africa on the board of the International Association of Schools of South Work.

He is married with two adult children, a daughter-in-law and one grandson. He holds degrees from the Universities of the Western Cape, Cape Town and Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio.