Mr Ashor Sarupen was appointed as the second Deputy Minister of Finance from 3 July 2024.
He is the first Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council. Mr Sarupen attended Wits University where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree before entering politics as a research analyst for the DA in Gauteng.
He subsequently acquired a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, both from Wits University, and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Corporate Strategy from the Gordon Institute of Business Science. His MBA research focused on Business Models for the Internet of Things, and his MPhil research was into the impact of anti-globalisation on the South African economy.
Mr Sarupen joined the DA in 2006 at the age of 17 in his hometown of Springs, Gauteng, where he subsequently served as the constituency chairperson and local campaign manager. He was elected to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Council in 2011 and served as the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition in the Council at the age of 22. He served on the Council’s Rules, Ethics and Public Accounts committees.
In 2014 he was appointed as an election strategist for the DA’s Gauteng election campaign, which saw the DA getting its best result to date.
He then served as a Member of the Gauteng Legislature between 2014 and 2019, representing the DA on the Finance, Economic Development, Social Development and Education committees.
In 2016, Mr Sarupen spearheaded the DA’s campaign effort in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitian Council that successfully brough the African National Congress under 50% of the vote share.
In October 2019, Ms Helen Zille appointed him Chief of Staff and subsequently as her Parliamentary Counsel. In 2020 he was elected into the DA’s national leadership as the Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council. In 2021 he was appointed as the DA’s Deputy National Campaign Manager for that year’s local government elections.
Since 2019, Mr Sarupen has served as a Member of Parliament and the DA’s Shadow Minister on the Appropriations Committee (which deals with the national budget).
Ashor Nick Sarupen, Mr
