Carl Pophaim: The youngest candidate in the DA Federal race, sharing his journey from the Cape Flats
Carl Pophaim is in the race
Image: Supplied
At just 28 years old, Cape Town Mayco member for Human Settlements Carl Pophaim has entered the race for Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA), bringing with him a deeply personal vision shaped by his upbringing on the Cape Flats.
For Pophaim, his leadership ambitions are rooted in lived experience one that he says continues to guide both his politics and his commitment to public service.
“This isn’t a job. This isn’t a salary. This isn’t a title. It’s deeply personal, an obligation,” he said.
Pophaim grew up in Grassy Park with family ties stretching across Lavender Hill and Manenberg communities that have long grappled with poverty, unemployment and crime. Those early experiences, he says, shaped his understanding of the challenges facing many South Africans and instilled a sense of responsibility to help create change.
“I’ve experienced inadequate services. I’ve experienced the effect of not having a job in the home, eviction, and living in a one-bedroom flat with a family of five,” he said.
“I’ve seen what the majority of our young people see.”
Rather than discouraging him, those realities fuelled his drive to enter politics and advocate for greater opportunity.
“The only difference between me and many other young people in places like Manenberg, Grassy Park or Lavender Hill is access to opportunity,” he said.
“And if we lead in a party that believes in expanding that opportunity, we can change the broader landscape of our country.”
Pophaim believes his personal journey from the streets of the Cape Flats to serving in the leadership of South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipality demonstrates what is possible when opportunity and determination meet.
“It was tough. My upbringing was filled with hardship, violence and poverty. But I wouldn’t change any of it because it created the person I am today,” he said.
Pophaim’s entry into the race comes as the DA prepares for its 2026 Federal Congress, where several senior leadership positions will be contested.
His campaign focuses heavily on preparing the party for the next local government elections, which he says will determine whether the optimism surrounding South Africa’s Government of National Unity can translate into real improvements in communities.
“The only way the optimism of the Government of National Unity is going to make sense is if we get South Africa working in its municipalities,” he said.
Pophaim warned that the DA faces strong political competition, particularly in communities where rival parties are aggressively contesting support.
“There is real competition for the DA. There are parties that use different messaging and different strategies to what we do, but they are competing,” he said.
DA Youth leader Carl Pophaim views the May 8 elections as one of the most important dates since 1994 and has urged the youth to cast their vote. Carl Pophaim in his younger days as DA Youth leader
Image: File
He specifically pointed to the Patriotic Alliance (PA) as a key opponent in upcoming electoral battles.
“We need strong leaders that can meet those parties, particularly the PA, at the battle line and in the trenches and go to war for the DA,” he said.
Pointing to his record during by-elections in areas such as Bonteheuwel, Nyanga and Delft, Pophaim said he has already demonstrated the ability to win difficult political contests.
“I’ve shown time and time again that we can defeat the PA. I want to take that same energy to the national leadership so that we can fight the 2026 local government election with everything we’ve got.”
Pophaim joins a growing field of candidates positioning themselves for leadership roles ahead of the party’s federal congress. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced his candidacy for federal leader following the decision by current leader John Steenhuisen not to seek re-election.
Other contests are also shaping up across the party’s leadership structures. Gauteng DA leader and former Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga has entered the race for Federal Chairperson, while Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen and DA Parliamentary House Chair Werner Horn are among those tipped for the position of Federal Council Chairperson, currently held by Helen Zille.
Several leaders have also indicated their interest in deputy roles, including Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi, Former Western Cape Health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo and Western Cape MEC Anroux Marais.