Honourable Solly Tshepiso Msimanga was born in Atteridgeville and attended Isaac More Primary School, Patogeng Higher Primary School and Saulridge High School.
He joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) in 2005. After attending a DA event, he wrote to the party with constructive criticism of its campaign approach. His initiative and insight led to an opportunity to work for the party under the leadership of Ryan Coetzee, marking the beginning of his political career.
Hon. Msimanga steadily rose through the ranks of the DA. In May 2011, he was elected to the City of Tshwane Council and became Leader of the DA’s Gauteng North Region. In May 2014, he was elected as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), where he served as the DA’s Provincial Spokesperson on Sport and as a member of the Education and Economic Development Portfolio Committees.
In November 2014, he was elected DA Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, succeeding Mike Moriarty.
Mayoral Career
In September 2015, Hon. Msimanga was selected as the DA’s mayoral candidate for the City of Tshwane ahead of the 2016 Local Government Elections. Following the election, the DA emerged as the largest party in the council. Through coalition agreements with smaller parties and support from the Economic Freedom Fighters, he was elected unopposed as Executive Mayor of Tshwane, becoming the first DA member to hold the position.
As Mayor, he became known for his commitment to clean governance, service delivery and fiscal discipline. He famously declared that “the only VIPs in the City will be the residents of the City,” signaling his intention to end unnecessary VIP privileges.
In January 2019, Hon. Msimanga announced his resignation as Executive Mayor to focus on the DA’s Gauteng premiership campaign.
Provincial and Federal Leadership
Following his mayoral tenure, Hon. Msimanga returned to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, where he served as Leader of the Official Opposition and Leader of the DA in Gauteng. He currently serves on the Legislature’s Internal Arrangements Committee, Oversight Committee on the Premier’s Office and Legislature (OCPOL), and the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Committee.
At the DA’s Federal Congress in 2026, Hon. Msimanga was elected Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance, one of the party’s highest leadership positions.
Academic and Professional Background
Hon. Msimanga holds a National Diploma in Marketing Management, a BCompt degree from the University of Pretoria, and Bachelor’s and Honours degrees in Social Science through Monash South Africa. He is currently pursuing further studies in International Relations and Politics.
Before entering public office, he worked with Project Literacy, served at the Liberian Embassy, and was employed by the United States Embassy. He also served as National Director for Legal Education and Development and held several senior management positions in the private sector.
Family and Community Service
Hon. Msimanga is married and is the proud father of three children: Aobokwe, Amogelang and Amba Tshepiso.
Beyond politics, he remains committed to community upliftment through his charitable initiative, Make Somebody’s Christmas a Merry One, which provides groceries and support to disadvantaged families during the festive season.