Mike Xego started his political career in youth politics. He was a member of the Student Christian Movement(SCM) in 1974, before joining the Black Consciousness Movement in 1975. Xego played a important role in the protest agaisnt Bantu Education in 1976. He was arrested on 20 September 1976, being sentenced to fiver years imprisonment on Robben Island. It is here, where he would become a member of the African National Congress (ANC). After his release on 20 January 1982, he returned to youth politics, aiding the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress to becoming a branch of the South African Youth Congress. Xego left his position as Deputy Chairman of the Nelson Mandela Bay region in 2007, to pursue his own business interests.