The party's national leadership includes former Democratic Alliance public representative Makashule Gana, former anti-apartheid activist Ishmael Mkhabela, Mandla Isaacs former speechwriter for Minister Malusi Gigaba, and Nick Binedell, founder of the GIBS business school.

[6] In August 2023, Member of Parliament Nomsa Marchesi resigned from the Democratic Alliance and joined Rise Mzansi as the party's Free State convenor.

[7] In November 2023, student leader David Kabwa's party, MOVE SA, announced that it would contest the 2024 elections under the banner of Rise Mzansi.

[9] Rise Mzansi's leader, Songezo Zibi, has described himself as a social democrat[10] and used to give other politicians copies of the book The Third Man, a memoir by Peter Mandelson that documents and advocates third way politics as implemented by New Labour in the UK.

Rather than forming itself only around opposing the ANC, Rise Mzansi says it is focused on developing substantive alternative politics and policies.

[19] In June 2024, Rise joined the Government of National Unity (GNU), but was not allocated any positions in the Cabinet, nor any deputy ministers.

Rise Mzansi stated that the arrangement "cements the two parties' commitment to revive conversations about realigning social democratic politics" and did not not rule out the possibility of a merger,[27] while Good's Brett Herron said that "we are confident that this is only the beginning of a much broader and richer project".