“What a Wonderful Honour”: Durban High School Alumni Elected Mayor of London, SA Impressed

• Durban-born Alderman Bronek Masojada was elected as the 698th Lord Mayor of the City of London
• Masojada attended Durban High School before earning a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University
• He built Hiscox into a global insurer with over 3,500 employees during his 21 years as CEO

A Durban boy has made it all the way to one of the most prestigious civic offices in the world. Alderman Bronek Masojada, a 1978 alumnus of Durban High School (DHS), has been elected as the 698th Lord Mayor of the City of London. He will take office at the Silent Ceremony at Guildhall on 13 November 2026, succeeding Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley DBE.

The news was announced on the DHS Foundation Facebook account on 30 September 2026, and the post drew an outpouring of pride from former classmates and Durbanites around the world.

From Durban to the City of London

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Masojada grew up in Durban and completed his schooling at DHS before studying Civil Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A Rhodes Scholarship then opened doors to Trinity College, Oxford, where he earned an M.Phil. in Management Studies. His career took him through McKinsey & Company before he joined the specialist insurer Hiscox in 1993. Over 21 years as Chief Executive, he grew the business into a global operation with more than 3,500 employees across 35 offices.

He stepped down in 2021. He was elected Alderman of Billingsgate in 2019 and has since been committed to civic life and community development in the City of London. His election is also a proud moment for DHS as an institution. Masojada follows in the footsteps of fellow DHS old boy Sir Gavyn Arthur, who held the same office between 2002 and 2003, making DHS one of the few schools in the world to have produced two Lord Mayors of London.

See the DHS Foundation's announcement in the Facebook post below:

Durbanites across the globe react

South Africans near and far celebrated the achievement in the comments:

@Inez Perkins said:

"Congratulations from an old Durbanite 🤜🤛."

@Easlyn Young wrote:

"A phenomenal accolade and credit to the foundation of leadership and learning at Durban Boys High School (DHS). Congratulations!"

@Barbara Veitch shared:

"How fabulous. Well done from Jozi. S.A."

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@Keshni Odayan added:

"What an incredible achievement. Well done and keep flying our flag high 🎉."

@Christopher Maurice Morrissey noted:

"Congratulations, Bronek. You were always an achiever!"

@Caroline Scrooby wrote:

"Congratulations to Bronek from us Durbanites now in Australia! What a wonderful honour and achievement."

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Source: Briefly News