Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis Elected Leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance elected Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as its new leader Sunday, installing a 39-year-old pro-business moderate at the helm of the country’s main center-right opposition party at a pivotal moment for South African politics.
The election, held at a party congress near Johannesburg, was widely anticipated. Hill-Lewis succeeded John Steenhuisen, the agriculture minister who led the DA through its historic entry into a coalition government with the African National Congress (ANC) in 2024 — the first time the party served in national executive power.
In his acceptance speech, Hill-Lewis was unambiguous about his ambitions. “I am not satisfied being a junior partner in a coalition government,” he told delegates. “Our ambition must be to lead the national government.” He also set a target of winning more towns and cities than ever before in upcoming local elections, due between November and January.
The ANC — the party of Nelson Mandela — lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in three decades in the 2024 national election, dropping to around 40 percent of the vote. It entered a power-sharing arrangement with the DA and other smaller parties, with President Cyril Ramaphosa remaining in office.
The DA won 22 percent in 2024, roughly consistent with its performance in prior elections. Polling by Ipsos released last month shows the party holding that level of support heading into local polls, while the ANC sits at 38 percent — down but still the largest single party.
Analysts say the local elections will be a critical test for both parties. The ANC has traditionally performed worse locally than nationally, as voters frustrated by failing basic services punish the governing party at the municipal level.
The DA governs the Western Cape province and has run Cape Town since 2021. Hill-Lewis, a lawyer by training, is credited with relatively efficient city management and has positioned Cape Town as a counterpoint to the decay visible in many other South African urban centers.
But the party’s growth faces a structural ceiling, according to political scientist Susan Booysen. “The DA has a reputation for protecting the interests of South Africa’s white minority — which it denies,” she said. “It has not had a non-white leader since Mmusi Maimane resigned in 2019. That matters in a country that is more than 90 percent non-white.”
The local elections will serve as the first major electoral test of his leadership and whether the party can expand beyond its current base.