The Democratic Alliance held its previous
elective conference in April 2023 where incumbent federal leader
John Steenhuisen and Federal Council
Chairperson Helen Zille were re-elected to their posts, respectively. Steenhuisen led the party into the
2024 general election where the
African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority and subsequently formed an
unprecedented coalition with the latter. DA members of parliament were given posts in president
Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet with Steenhuisen being appointed as the
Minister of Agriculture. On 20 September 2025, Zille was announced as the party's mayoral candidate for the
City of Johannesburg ahead of the
2026 South African municipal elections. In November 2025, Steenhuisen requested that the DA federal finance chairperson
Dion George be removed as the
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment which led to a public fallout between George and Steenhuisen and resulted in George accusing Steenhuisen of abusing his party-issued credit card. The DA subsequently launched an investigation into the fallout between Steenhuisen and George. On 12 January 2026, the party's Federal Legal Commission cleared Steenhuisen on the allegations that he abused his party-issued credit card, but the party's Federal Executive did resolve to continue an investigations into whether the actions of Steenhuisen and George brought the party into disrepute. George resigned from the DA on 15 January 2026. On 21 January 2026, Zille announced that she would not seek re-election as federal council chair at the party's congress. Steenhuisen was under pressure for his handling of the
foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Africa and had reportedly fallen out with Zille, however, Zille and Steenhuisen have denied this. == Leadership election ==