South Africa’s newly elected Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has said he is committed to ensuring the country’s governing coalition remains stable as he prepares to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday.
Hill-Lewis, who was elected over the weekend at a party conference, now leads the DA—the second-largest party in South Africa’s Government of National Unity formed in 2024 after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Hill-Lewis said the coalition represented “the best chance that South Africa has had in probably 25 years” to restore economic growth, create jobs, and implement meaningful reforms.
He described his upcoming meeting with Ramaphosa as an introductory “get-to-know-you” engagement, stressing that he was not seeking confrontation or political leverage.
“I’m not going there to try and throw any weight around,” he said, adding that his focus remains on governance rather than internal political disputes.
Hill-Lewis also confirmed that he intends to continue serving as Mayor of Cape Town, one of the country’s key economic and tourism hubs, rather than pursuing a national government position.
He has held the mayoral office since 2021 and is widely viewed as a central figure in the DA’s pro-business reform agenda.
The meeting with Ramaphosa is expected to focus on strengthening cooperation within the coalition government and addressing pressing national challenges, including economic stagnation, unemployment, and infrastructure pressures.
Political analysts say the engagement could help define the tone of collaboration between South Africa’s major governing parties as the unity government continues to take shape.
