John Henry Steenhuisen (/ˈstiːnhaɪzən/ STEE-n-hy-zən; Afrikaans: [ˈdʒɔn ˈstiənˌɦœysən]; born 25 March 1976)[1] is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Agriculture since July 2024.

Pursuant to the 2024 South African general election, he was appointed to the third cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa when the DA joined the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Soon after, Steenhuisen was elected as the party's KwaZulu-Natal provincial leader, a position he held until he resigned in October 2010, amid an extramarital affair.

He joined the National Assembly in July 2011, and he became the Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in February 2012 following his appointment by Lindiwe Mazibuko.

A year later, he was elected leader for a full term at the party's Federal Congress, defeating Mbali Ntuli, a DA MPL from KwaZulu-Natal.

[4] He once told Parliament that he had enrolled for a bachelor's degree in politics and law at the University of South Africa in 1994, but he could not finish the course due to work and financial circumstances.

[8] In February 2012, Steenhuisen was appointed by Lindiwe Mazibuko as Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

[25] On 15 February 2020, he declared his intention to seek a full-term as Federal Leader of the DA at the Hellenic Community Centre in Mouille Point, Cape Town.

[30] In May 2020, the DA's Federal Council, the second-highest decision-making body, resolved to hold the conference virtually between 31 October and 1 November,[31] a move which some critics denounced as being favourable to Steenhuisen's campaign, as he has a public profile and access to party structures, giving him an advantage.

As the campaign progressed, he received endorsements from prominent party members, including Western Cape provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela and interim federal chairperson Ivan Meyer.

[45] In early-October 2021, the DA put up controversial election placards in the majority Indian suburb of Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal which read: "The ANC called you racists.

During the riots and looting that affected the province in July 2021, residents of Phoenix formed armed citizen vigilantes to protect the community due to the lack of police response.

The posters were denounced by several political parties and the DA was accused of exploiting fear and deepening divisions for electoral gain.

[55] On 22 November 2021, the DA gained back control of the City of Johannesburg and gained control of the City of Ekurhuleni for the first time after ActionSA president Mashaba convinced the Economic Freedom Fighters leadership to vote for the DA mayoral candidates.

[57] In the early days of Steenhuisen's leadership, he appointed Natasha Mazzone as the new chief whip of the DA parliamentary caucus on 31 October 2019.

[59] In August 2016, then-DA leader Maimane formed an informal alliance with the Economic Freedom Fighters to secure control of several hung municipalities, including Johannesburg with Herman Mashaba of the DA as the city's mayor.

DA Federal Council Chairwoman Helen Zille and Steenhuisen both opposed a coalition agreement with the EFF.

[72][73][74][75] On 12 February 2021, Van Damme announced that her disagreement with Steenhuisen regarding her sabbatical had been resolved and she would return to work, focusing on digital technologies.

In April 2022, The Sunday Times reported that several senior members of the DA caucus, including Steenhuisen himself, disapproved of Mazzone's performance.

Steenhuisen called the lockdown “destructive” and said, “there is no longer a justification to keep this hard lockdown in place.” He also said that the DA had written to the International Monetary Fund and filed a PAIA complaint to obtain the minutes of the National Command Council's decision to retain the tobacco ban.

Their chief rival, the ruling ANC, lost their majority for the first time in South Africa's democratic history.

[91] Before the election in August 2023, the DA and several parties signed the Multi-Party Charter, which stipulated that no signatory would work with the ANC.

[92] Steenhuisen said that the results showed that South Africa was "heading into coalition country" and expressed a willingness to work alongside the ANC, adding that he would have to first consult with other signatories of the Multi-Party Charter.

The DA also said that a government composed of the ANC, the MK, and the EFF would be a "doomsday coalition" pursuing previous policy failures in the country.

[95] That day, Steenhuisen announced that the DA had entered into a coalition agreement with the ANC and provided its support for Cyril Ramaphosa's reelection as president.

[98] In his maiden speech as Minister delivered on 16 July, Steenhuisen promised to modernize the farming sector, which included introducing a track-and-trace system for livestock.

[102] After he was widely criticised for supposedly fuelling misogyny,[103] he released a statement saying that his comment was intended as a lighthearted joke.

In 2024, the SABC banned the DA's controversial flag burning advert after it had received widespread criticism on social media.

Some conceded the appointment of the crime wardens was simply "ill-informed", but said Steenhuisen was being "classist" and discriminatory against poor people who buy their clothes at Pep outlets.

He currently resides in uMhlanga, (an upmarket coastal town in KwaZulu Natal) and is a supporter of the Sharks rugby union team and the AmaZulu F.C.