Geordin Hill-Lewis Announces Bid for DA Leadership: A New Chapter for the Party

Born in 1987 in Plettenberg Bay, Geordin Hill-Lewis grew up in Cape Town and at the age of 39 has already emerged as one of the most prominent and successful leaders in South African politics. Hill-Lewis's journey in public service began when he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) at the age of 24 in 2011, a role he would excel in before moving to municipal governance. He served in the shadow cabinet under Lindiwe Mazibuko, and in 2011, he founded the DA’s student wing, the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation, during his time at the University of Cape Town.

In 2021, Hill-Lewis made the transition from national politics to municipal leadership, being elected as Cape Town's mayor after the DA's strong performance in the local government elections. His tenure as mayor has been marked by decisive leadership, particularly in areas like infrastructure and safety. Under his leadership, Cape Town has invested heavily in capital expenditure, with a projected R12 billion budget for 2025, significantly surpassing Johannesburg's budget.

As other South African cities crumbled Cape Town emerged as one of the most desirable cities to live in anywhere in the world with rocketing property prices and attracting massive investment. Last week this newspaper reported that the city now boasted more top-end taxpayers than did Johannesburg.

Despite challenges such as gang violence and rapid population growth, Hill-Lewis’s administration has been praised for addressing poverty, improving employment rates, and enhancing public services in underserved areas like Gugulethu and Khayelitsha.

As Hill-Lewis eyes the DA leadership, he is not stepping into an easy role. The DA has evolved from a party largely focused on municipal governance to one that holds significant influence in national and provincial politics. The party is now the largest in South Africa’s three wealthiest provinces and the key political player in its eight metros, with polling numbers higher than ever before.

Hill-Lewis will need to maintain this growth trajectory while navigating the internal dynamics of a party that is still consolidating its position in the national sphere. The DA’s coalition-building efforts will also be crucial, as South Africa's political system becomes more fragmented, with the potential for broader coalitions on the horizon in the aftermath of local government elections set for late this year or early 2027.

If Hill-Lewis is successful, and if the ANC elects a weak successor to Cyril Ramaphosa come that party’s leadership transition in December of 2027, then come the 2029 national elections the DA and the ANC may find themselves neck and neck in vying to be the country’s largest political party.