Who is Patricia de Lille? Facts about South Africa's Minister of Tourism
Patricia de Lille has been a public servant since South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. She was active in the fight against apartheid and has since held various influential positions in government. Read on to uncover more on who is Patricia de Lille.
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Patricia de Lille is regarded as a female pioneer and trailblazer in various aspects of South African politics. She was the first woman to reach the highest level of trade union activism in the 1980s and became the first woman in the country to create a political party.
Patricia de Lille's profile summary
| Full name | Patricia de Lille (nee Lindt) |
| Nickname | Aunty Pat |
| Date of birth | February 17, 1951 |
| Age | 73 years old in 2025 |
| Net worth | Approx. $5 million |
| Place of birth | Beaufort West, Western Cape |
| Nationality | South African |
| Known for | Social issues advocate |
| Marital status | Widowed |
| Husband | Edwin de Lille (1972 to 2021) |
| Children | Son Alistair |
| Parents | Henry Lindt, Getrude Lindt |
| Siblings | Six, including Sarah Paulse |
| Education | Damelin College (Industrial Relations), Bastiaanse Hoërskool |
| Profession | Politician |
| Political party | Good Party (2018 to date), Democratic Alliance (2010-2018),Independent Democrats (2003-2014), Pan Africanist Congress (1987-2003) |
| Years active | The 1970s to date |
| Social media | X (Twitter)Facebook |
Who is Patricia de Lille?
Patricia de Lille is a South African politician and leader of the Good Party. She is a former trade unionist and was instrumental in the struggle against SA's apartheid.
De Lille has been serving as the Minister of Tourism in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet since March 2023. Rising in South African politics was not an easy task for her, especially before the 2000s. In a 2005 interview with BBC, she shared what made her succeed as a woman.
Lots of guts, patience and perseverance because it is not the norm, and therefore, you always have to be more vigilant. The challenge is not with you, but the challenge is that Africans accept that a woman can do the job and maybe sometimes even do it better.
Patricia de Lille's age
The SA politician is 73 years old as of January 2025. She was born on February 17, 1951.
Source: Original
Where was Patricia de Lille born?
Patricia was born in an Afrikaans-speaking coloured family in Beaufort West, Western Cape, South Africa. Her father, Henry Lindt, worked as a teacher and supported the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), while her mother, Gertrude Lindt, was a homemaker.
Patricia is the third born of seven children. Her sister, Sarah Paulse, is also a politician and was a member of Patricia de Lille's party, Independent Democrats, which is now defunct. Sarah served in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (2004-2010) and the SA National Assembly (2010-2014).
Patricia de Lille's husband
The Minister was married to Edwin de Lille for 49 years. They tied the knot in the early 1970s and remained together until his death on February 7, 2021, after a long illness. The couple had one son, Alistair de Lille.
Source: Twitter
Patricia de Lille's education
Patricia completed her primary school education at Methodist Primary School. She later enrolled at Bastiaanse Hoërskool in Beaufort West for high school, graduating in 1969.
The politician earned her diploma in Industrial Relations from Damelin College in 1985. She started her career as a laboratory technician at Plascon Paints in 1974 and stayed in the role for 16 years.
Patricia de Lille's trade union career
The Beaufort West native was a trade unionist in the 1970s and 1980s before she transitioned into politics. She initially joined the South African Chemical Workers' Union (SACWU) as a shop steward.
She moved up the ranks to become SACWU's regional secretary. In 1988, she was elected Vice President of the National Trade Union Council, the highest position held by a woman in the trade union movement at the time.
Source: Getty Images
Patricia de Lille's political career
Here is a timeline of Patricia de Lille's previous offices;
- 1989: Elected to the National Executive Committee of the Pan Africanist Movement (PAM), a wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)
- 1994: Elected as a Member of Parliament in South Africa's first democratic elections
- 2003: Funded the Independent Democrats (ID) after breaking away from the PAC. She became the first South African woman to establish a formal political party
- 2010: The ID merged with the Democratic Alliance
- 2011: Elected as the Mayor of Cape Town, serving until 2018
- 2015-2017: Served as the Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape.
- 2018: Established the Good Party after leaving the DA
- 2019-2023: Appointed as the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure in President Cyril Ramaphosa's second cabinet.
- 2023: Became the Minister of Tourism; she was reappointed to the position in July 2024
- 2025: Appointed the Vice-Chair of the World Tourism Organization
Source: Getty Images
Patricia de Lille's salary
De Lille earns an estimated annual salary of around R2.68 million (approx. R223,000 per month) as the leader of the Good Party and as Minister of Tourism, according to IOL. She was making R1.24 million per year (around R103,000 per month) during her tenure as the Mayor of Cape Town.
Patricia de Lille's awards and recognition
Patricia has been honoured several times for her significant contributions to South African politics. Some of them include;
- She was appointed the world's best mayor in May 2013 by City Mayors
- In 2004, she was awarded the HIV/AIDS activist award by South African Women for Women, a Canadian-based organization
- In 2004, Patricia ranked 22nd in the Top 100 Great South Africans
- In 2004, she was awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham, Alabama, for her role in the Arms Deal negotiations.
- In 2006, she became the first woman to be recognized as an Honorary Colonel in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)
- She is an Honorary Member of the Global Parliament of Mayors
Source: Getty Images
The answer to 'Who is Patricia de Lille?' highlights the inspiring journey of one of South Africa's most influential female politicians. Her rise from grassroots activism to becoming a high-ranking government official reflects her resilience.
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Source: Briefly News
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