Hill-Lewis’ rise through the DA ranks

If Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis secures the DA leadership next week, he will do so with a political career that began unusually early and has been built through – from what it looks like from the outside – sweat.

Many inland public representatives have told The Citizen that they have not had the opportunity to get to know Hill-Lewis.

Mixed familiarity within party ranks

However, others have said there is nobody else in the party that could take the baton from John Steenhuisen and build on its solid foundation.

Prof Theo Neethling, a research fellow in political studies and governance at the University of the Free State, said he considered Hill-Lewis a solid choice for the party.

The Cape Town mayor’s career started early. He entered parliament in 2011 at the age of 24, becoming one of the youngest MPs in South Africa’s democratic era.

His political involvement, however, started before that, in student politics at the University of Cape Town, where he launched the DA’s first student branch and went on to win campus elections.

Experience shaped through parliament and party leadership

Over a decade in parliament, Hill-Lewis held several shadow Cabinet roles, including trade and industry and later finance, before moving into governance as mayor of Cape Town in 2021.

He also served as chief of staff to both former DA leaders Helen Zille and Mmusi Maimane, placing him close to the party’s leadership machinations during critical periods of its history.

As mayor of the Mother City, Hill-Lewis has focused on infrastructure investment, service delivery and urban reform.

The city has prioritised spending on water, sanitation, electricity and transport systems, alongside longer-term planning for population growth.