Geordin Hill-Lewis faces challenge of broadening DA's appeal beyond its traditional base

Geordin Hill-Lewis, the new leader of South Africa’s second-largest party, the Democratic Alliance DA, faces the challenge of expanding the party's popularity beyond its core support, which is largely composed of white people and other racial minorities. Despite the end of apartheid, South Africa remains divided along racial lines. Hill-Lewis, who took over from John Steenhuisen, must find a way to appeal to the country’s black majority, who constitute about 80% of the population. The DA's share of the vote has remained around 20% since the 2014 general election, only slightly increasing to just under 22% in the 2024 election, which saw the African National Congress ANC drop below 50% and form a coalition government including the DA. Hill-Lewis, 39, acknowledged the need to "close the trust deficit" and stated that winning the trust of more black people would be a "main focus." He noted that the "racial silos in South Africa have been firm and concrete but they are breaking and cracking." The party's previous attempt to attract more black voters saw its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, resign in 2019. However, the new leadership team, elected alongside Hill-Lewis, includes several black politicians such as Solly Msimanga, Siviwe Gwarube, and Solly Malatsi, making it the "most diverse and young group of leaders the DA has had in its history." While the new leadership is more racially mixed, gender imbalance persists with only one woman in a senior position. Hill-Lewis has no