Geordin Hill-Lewis

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الموسوعة الحرة

Geordin Gwyn Hill-Lewis (born 31 December 1986) is a South African politician who has been the Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance since April 2026 and the Mayor of Cape Town since November 2021.

Born in Plettenberg Bay, Hill-Lewis attended Edgemead High School in Cape Town, and obtained an Honours degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Cape Town, and a Master's degree in Finance specialising in Economic Policy from the University of London.

Hill-Lewis served in the National Assembly of South Africa for more than a decade from August 2011 to November 2021. He held multiple positions in the DA's Shadow Cabinet, including serving as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Public Service from August 2011 to February 2012, as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry from February 2012 to June 2014, as the Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry between June 2014 and June 2017, and as the Shadow Minister of Finance from June 2019 until he resigned to become mayor in November 2021.

In November 2023, Hill-Lewis was elected unopposed as the DA deputy provincial leader in the Western Cape. In February 2026, he announced his campaign to succeed John Steenhuisen as the federal leader of the Democratic Alliance. He was elected on 12 April 2026 at the party's Federal Congress.

Early life and education

Hill-Lewis was born on 31 December 1986 in Plettenberg Bay. His family moved to Cape Town during his early childhood.[1] Following his parents' divorce was raised by his mother, a nurse.[2] His late father was an artist.[3] He attended Edgemead High School and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and an honours degree in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Cape Town. From the University of London, he obtained a master's degree in economic policy.[4]

Early political career

Hill-Lewis became politically active during his high school years. During his studies at the University of Cape Town, he founded the Democratic Alliance Students' Organisation (DASO).[3] He worked as Chief of Staff to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.[5][6]

Parliamentary career (2011–2021)

Hill-Lewis during the Debate on the February 2019 State of the Nation Address

In August 2011, Hill-Lewis was appointed to the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, to fill Willem Doman's seat.[7] He was only twenty-four years and seven months old when he took office, making him the youngest MP since 1994.[2][8] He was appointed Shadow Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration by the DA parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip.[9]

In February 2012, the newly elected DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko appointed Hill-Lewis to the shadow cabinet as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.[10] After the 2014 general election, he was succeeded as the youngest MP by Yusuf Cassim, also a member the DA.[11] The newly elected DA parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane appointed him Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry in June 2014.[12] Hill-Lewis was removed from the shadow cabinet in June 2017 following his appointment as chief of staff in Maimane's office.[13]

Following the 2019 general election, Hill-Lewis was elevated to Shadow Minister of Finance in Maimane's new shadow cabinet.[14] He remained in the position following John Steenhuisen's election as DA leader in November 2020.[15] Hill-Lewis resigned from the National Assembly on 9 November 2021 ahead of his move to the Cape Town City Council.[16]

Mayor of Cape Town (2021–present)

2021 mayoral campaign

On 1 April 2021, Hill-Lewis announced that he had applied to be the DA's mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town for the local government elections to be held later in the year. He had been the DA's constituency head in George at that time.[17]

He contested the party's nomination against incumbent mayor Dan Plato and the party's provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, during the party's internal candidate selection process.[18] Madikizela later resigned as provincial leader and from all active party roles after being embroiled in a qualifications scandal. Hill-Lewis was considered to be the frontrunner by the media and political analysts.[19]

DA leader John Steenhuisen announced on 23 August that Hill-Lewis would be the DA’s mayoral candidate in the 2021 local government elections.[20][21] Incumbent mayor Plato pledged to support Hill-Lewis's campaign.[22] On 29 August 2021, Hill-Lewis launched his campaign to become mayor in Bonteheuwel, the site of his first DA meeting, which he attended in June 2004 at the home of ward councillor Theresa Thompson.[23]

Hill-Lewis addressing the Cape Town Press Club in September 2021

In September 2021, Hill-Lewis wrote to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and former DA mayor Patricia de Lille, calling on her to cancel the government's lease for the Acacia Park Parliamentary Village so that the City of Cape Town can buy the land from the government and release it for the development of affordable housing. De Lille responded by calling him "stupid", despite her past support for the proposal.[24][25] Hill-Lewis then led a demonstration outside the Department of Public Works building and handed over a memorandum.[26] Hill-Lewis had also identified the Air Force Base Ysterplaat and the SAS Wingfield for social housing.[27]

On 7 October 2021, Hill-Lewis announced his seven-point plan to end loadshedding in the City of Cape Town. His plan included procuring electricity directly from Independent Power Producers and investing in the Steenbras hydroelectric plant.[28]

On 3 November, two days after the municipal elections on 1 November, the DA was projected to retain its majority in the City of Cape Town, winning 58% of the vote, an 8% decline from the 66% the party achieved in the 2016 municipal elections. Hill-Lewis admitted in an interview with News24 journalist Jan Gerber that the DA performed much better than he expected.[29][30][31]

Tenure

On 18 November 2021, the city council held its inaugural meeting after the election, at which Hill-Lewis was elected and sworn in as mayor.[29] Hill-Lewis was elected mayor with 141 out of 224 votes. The ANC's Noluthando Makasi received 46 votes while the Cape Independence Party's Jack Miller got only two votes. There were 20 abstentions and 15 spoilt ballots. At age 34, he became the second youngest mayor in the city's history,[32] after David Graaff (1891–1892). On his first day in office, he inspected sewage issues in Khayelitsha and Phoenix.[33]

On 22 November, Hill-Lewis announced the formation of his 11-member mayoral committee to turn Cape Town into a "city of hope". Only six councillors out of the previous administration were retained. Long-serving members Ian Neilson, Xanthea Limberg, Marian Nieuwoudt, Phindile Maxiti and Sharon Cottle were not reappointed to the new mayoral committee.[34][35][36]

Hill-Lewis was elected unopposed as the DA's deputy provincial leader at the party's provincial congress on 11 November 2023.[37]

In May 2025, Hill-Lewis was shown to be broadly popular amongst his fellow Council members, when he won a motion of no confidence by a significant margin (138 against and 46 in favour). The motion was tabled by the single-issue opposition party, the National Coloured Congress, and was seen as a spiteful endeavour to detract from an ongoing court case the City has against the NCC's leader, Fadiel Adams, for racist remarks he made. Hill-Lewis said at the time of the motion that the NCC's actions were frivolous, and that they should behave better at council meetings for the benefit of Cape Town residents.[38]

2026 mayoral campaign

On 13 June 2026, Hill-Lewis was announced as the party's mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town in the 2026 local government elections during a party event at the Hanover Park Civic Centre.[39] He announced five pledges should he be elected to a second term as mayor: stronger policing, more jobs, reliable and affordable service delivery, expanded housing opportunities, and cleaner public spaces.[40]

Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance: 2026–present

Election

In February 2026, Hill-Lewis announced that he would run for federal leader of the Democratic Alliance at party's Federal Congress in April.[41] Incumbent leader John Steenhuisen had announced in February that he would not seek a third term as party leader,[42] a decision widely speculated as being done in order to allow Hill-Lewis to run for leadership.[43]

During the campaign, Hill-Lewis promised that, as party leader, he intended to keep the party as a partner in the current Government of National Unity, a grand coalition government.[44] Hill-Lewis also confirmed that he would remain in his role as Mayor of Cape Town instead of taking up a position in the National Assembly. He said that doing so would allow him to maintain some distance from the Cabinet, thereby allowing him to criticise the President's decisions as DA leader, if he wished to do so, without the limitations of being part of the Cabinet himself. He also said he found his work as Cape Town Mayor impactful and meaningful.[45]

During his candidate speech to the Federal Congress at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 11 April 2026, Hill-Lewis said that his vision for the DA is that it becomes a party in touch with the lived experiences of all South Africans.[46] He was elected leader on 12 April 2026, defeating the DA's caucus leader in the Sedibeng District Municipality, Sibusiso Dyonase.[47][48]

Tenure

On 18 April 2026, Hill-Lewis appointed party strategist Ryan Coetzee and Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to oversee the party's ministers and deputy ministers in government.[49][50]

Hill-Lewis declined to return to parliament and the DA parliamentary caucus elected the former chief whip George Michalakis under Steenhuisen as the parliamentary leader on 7 May 2026, a move which Hill-Lewis welcomed.[51]

On 17 June 2026, Hill-Lewis wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting that he make changes to the DA appointments in his national executive, notably demoting former party leader Steenhuisen from Minister of Agriculture to Deputy Minister of Trade Industry and Competition.[52][53] The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, was selected to replace Steenhuisen, while the Western Cape MEC for Education, David Maynier, was chosen to succeed Aucamp in his portfolio.[54][55] Hill-Lewis also made changes to the DA's deputy ministers; he selected the longest-serving member of the Gauteng provincial legislatureJack Bloom to succeed Sello Seitlholo as the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, while Yusuf Cassim was chosen to replace Mimmy Gondwe as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training. The outgoing Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Alexandra Abrahams was nominated to take over from Samantha Graham-Maré as the Deputy Minister of Energy and Electricity. Graham-Maré, Seitlholo and Gondwe were not appointed to other positions and left the executive when Ramaphosa formalised Hill-Lewis's request on 30 June 2026.[56]

Personal life

Hill-Lewis is married to Carla Hill-Lewis (née van der Merwe), a former fashion designer.[3] They have one child, who was born in August 2015.[2][3] They reside in Edgemead, one of the northern suburbs of Cape Town.[57] He is an avid rugby union fan.

References

  1. ↑"Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA mayoral candidate: 'The Cape Independence movement is a huge compliment of the DA's track record'". BizNews.com. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. 123"Get to know Geordin Hill-Lewis MP". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. 1234"Geordin Hill-Lewis: The man behind the mayoral chain". Cape Town ETC. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  4. ↑Tembo, Theolin (23 August 2021). "DA announces Geordin Hill-Lewis as its candidate to replace Dan Plato as Cape Town mayor". Independent Online. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  5. ↑Tandwa, Lizeka (25 October 2023). "Hill-Lewis to run unopposed as DA Western Cape deputy leader". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  6. ↑"South African who went from the youngest member of parliament to the leader of a world-class city". Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  7. ↑"Hansard: Questions to the President, Jacob Zuma". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ↑Mpofu, Michael (11 May 2012). "New batch of young bloods sworn in as MPs". IOL. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  9. ↑"DA: Statement by Geordin Hill-Lewis, Democratic Alliance shadow deputy minister of public service and administration, welcoming a move towards new anti-corruption legislation (15/09/2011)". www.polity.org.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. ↑"DA's Athol Trollip gets Mazibuko's old portfolio". City Press. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  11. ↑"DA sets record with youngest MP". www.iol.co.za. November 1988.
  12. ↑"The DA's shadow cabinet - Mmusi Maimane - PARTY | Politicsweb". www.politicsweb.co.za.
  13. ↑"Changes to DA Shadow Cabinet". Democratic Alliance.
  14. ↑Gerber, Jan. "Here's the DA's 'shadow cabinet'". News24.
  15. ↑Mazzone, Natasha (5 December 2020). "DA announces new Shadow Cabinet that will bring Real Hope and Real Change". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  16. ↑"National Assembly Members (As on 12 November 2021)"(PDF). Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  17. ↑Gerber, Jan. "DA's Hill-Lewis vying to become party's Cape Town mayoral candidate". News24. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  18. ↑Davis, Rebecca (7 April 2021). "ANALYSIS: Three DA heavyweights face off for Cape Town mayoralty". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  19. ↑"Geordin Hill-Lewis touted as front runner to take over the reins in Cape Town". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  20. ↑"DA announces Geordin Hill-Lewis as its candidate to replace Dan Plato as Cape Town mayor". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  21. ↑"Battle for Cape Town's mayorship begins as the DA and Good announce their picks". www.iol.co.za. 3 August 1974. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  22. ↑Charles, Marvin. "Dan Plato pledges his support as DA selects Hill-Lewis as Cape Town mayoral candidate". News24. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  23. ↑Felix, Jason. "DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis launches his campaign to be mayor of Cape Town". News24. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  24. ↑"DA Cape Town mayoral candidate hits back at De Lille for calling his affordable housing proposals 'stupid'". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  25. ↑"'It is stupid': De Lille blasts DA - for a policy SHE supported while Mayor". The South African. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  26. ↑Brandt, Kevin. "DA in CT demands govt-owned land be released to build affordable housing". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  27. ↑"Ysterplaat, Wingfield eyed for social housing". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  28. ↑Gerber, Jan. "Elections 2021: Hill-Lewis wants to free Cape Town from Eskom and load shedding - here's his plan". News24. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  29. 12Gerber, Jan (9 November 2021). "Mayor-elect Geordin Hill-Lewis wants to hit the Cape Town refresh button". News24. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  30. ↑"Hill-Lewis, to be Cape Town's youngest mayor, promises the 'DA difference'". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  31. ↑"DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis says he is 'very excited' to be City of Cape Town's next mayor". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  32. ↑"WATCH: Geordin Hill-Lewis officially becomes Cape Town's youngest mayor after council vote". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  33. ↑"Everything you missed of Geordin Hill-Lewis' first week in office as Cape Town mayor". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  34. ↑Payne, Suné (22 November 2021). "LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CAPE TOWN : New broom: Geordin Hill-Lewis announces new mayoral committee with a mix of fresh and familiar faces". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  35. ↑Brandt, Kevin. "CT Mayor Hill-Lewis announces his mayoral committee". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  36. ↑"Old DA faces chopped from Cape Town mayoral committee". www.polity.org.za. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  37. ↑Felix, Jason. "Tertius Simmers elected DA Western Cape leader, beating Madikizela". News24. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  38. ↑Marvin Charles (28 May 2025). "Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis survives first motion of no confidence". news24. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  39. ↑Mtyala, Quinton. "Hill-Lewis officially announced as DA mayoral candidate for Cape Town". EWN. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  40. ↑O'Regan, Victoria (13 June 2026). "'Safer, cleaner, more affordable': Hill-Lewis eyes second term with five-pledge plan for Cape Town". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  41. ↑Cele, S'thembile (27 February 2026). "Cape Town May to Run For Leadership of Democratic Alliance". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  42. ↑"John Steenhuisen to exit DA race amid leadership tensions". TimesLIVE. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  43. ↑Carien du Plessis (4 February 2026). "South Africa DA shakeup: Out with John Steenhuisen – and in with Helen Zille's favourite?". The Africa Report. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  44. ↑Mokone, Thabo (27 February 2026). "Hill-Lewis commits to keeping DA in GNU if elected leader". The Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  45. ↑Dawie Boonzaaier (22 March 2026). "No GNU Cabinet post for Hill-Lewis if he is elected DA leader". City Press. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  46. ↑Mafisa, Itumeleng (11 April 2026). "DA must offer South Africa more, says Geordin Hill-Lewis". The Citizen. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  47. ↑Mafisa, Itumeleng (12 April 2026). "WATCH: Geordin Hill-Lewis succeeds Steenhuisen as new DA federal leader". The Citizen. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  48. ↑"'Our plan is to win' - Geordin Hill-Lewis elected as new DA Federal Leader - eNCA". www.enca.com. 12 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  49. ↑Capa, Siyamtanda. "'Rassie and Siya': Hill-Lewis appoints Coetzee, Schreiber to showcase 'DA difference' in govt". News24. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  50. ↑Bloomberg. "DA appoints former CEO to oversee its ministers in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet". Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  51. ↑Dentlinger, Lindsay. "DA leader Hill-Lewis vouches for new parliamentary leader Michalakis". EWN. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  52. ↑"Changes to DA representation in the Government of National Unity". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  53. ↑O'Regan, Victoria (17 June 2026). "Foot and mouth disease bungle costs Steenhuisen his Cabinet post". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  54. ↑Pinnock, Don (17 June 2026). "Aucamp rises as Steenhuisen falls in DA Cabinet reshuffle". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  55. ↑Bega, Sheree (17 June 2026). "David Maynier moves from education to environment in DA cabinet shake-up". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  56. ↑"Ramaphosa 'positively considering' Hill-Lewis' cabinet reshuffle request". Business Day. 17 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  57. ↑"YOUR VOTE | Getting to know Cape Town mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 1 November 2021.