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New polling* from The Common Sense and the Social Research Foundation shows the share of likely voters with a favourable view of Geordin Hill-Lewis, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) since April, has more than doubled, from 7% in February last year to 12% in March and 15% in July. Over the same three rounds the share who say they are too unfamiliar with him to rate him has come down, from 63% to 59% to 53%. The unfavourable share has not risen as he has become better known. At 14% in July it is no higher than the 18% recorded in February 2025, and it now sits level with the favourable share. Half of voters still have no view of him, but among those who have formed one since early last year the movement has been towards liking him rather than against him. The chart below shows the share of likely voters who view Hill-Lewis favourably, unfavourably, or say they are too unfamiliar with him to rate him, at each of the three rounds.

* The figures come from three Social Research Foundation Market Surveys conducted in conjunction with The Common Sense and carried out by Victory Research using telephonic CATI interviews. A single frame random digit dialling design was used in each round, with respondents screened for voter registration and then interviewed, and the sample was further quota-controlled for key demographic characteristics of South Africa's registered voter population. National SIM card penetration exceeds 250.0%, making telephonic interviewing a reliable method of reaching a representative sample of registered voters. Each sample was fully weighted according to the demographic parameters of the registered voter population. Turnout modelling assigned each respondent a probability of voting in the next election, with the primary turnout model set at 56.0%. Figures in this piece are for likely voters under that model. Each round carries a national margin of error of 4.0% at a 95.0% confidence level.

The rounds were: 4 to 19 February 2025, 1 004 respondents, 582 likely voters, design effect 2.0127; 20 February to 6 March 2026, 2 222 respondents, 1 199 likely voters, design effect 3.2675; and 8 to 31 July 2026, 2 214 respondents, 1 583 likely voters, design effect 3.7938.