Hill-Lewis elected DA leader as new leadership team unveiled

MIDRAND – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced a sweeping new leadership line-up on the last day of its federal congress in Midrand, marking the end of John Steenhuisen’s tenure and the start of a new chapter for the party.

Geordin Hill-Lewis, the mayor of Cape Town, was elected as the party’s new federal leader today (12 April), succeeding Steenhuisen (current national minister of agriculture) after his decision not to stand for a third term.

New top leadership

In another closely watched race, Solly Msimanga (DA leader in Gauteng), was elected as the party’s new federal chairperson, defeating Dr. Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape minister of agriculture, economic development and tourism, who had been widely seen as the frontrunner.

Msimanga takes over from Helen Zille, who steps down from the influential position after several terms. Zille is also standing as the party’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections.

The party also announced Ashor Sarupen (national deputy minister of finance) as the new chairperson of the federal council.

Deputy roles filled

Three federal deputy chairpersons were elected, namely Solly Malatsi (national minister of communications and digital technologies), Cilliers Brink (Tshwane mayoral candidate) and Siviwe Gwarube (national minister of basic education).

At federal council level, Carl Pophaim and JP Smith – both mayoral committee members in the City of Cape Town – were elected as deputy chairpersons alongside Thomas Walters, who was re-elected to the role.

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Meanwhile, Mark Burke (member of parliament) was named as the party’s new federal finance chairperson.

A new phase for the DA

These announcements bring to a close a pivotal federal congress that began on Saturday (11 April) with reflections on the party’s growth and its role in national government.

With a new leader at the helm and a refreshed leadership collective in place, the DA is expected to focus on consolidating its position within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) while preparing for the 2026 local government elections.

The newly elected leadership represents a mix of national, provincial and local government figures.