Janet Semple


Janet Semple is a retired South African politician from Gauteng who served as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the Democratic Alliance from 2010 to 2019. She was the Provincial Leader of the DA from 2007 to 2010.

Political career

Semple started her political career by serving as both the mayor and deputy mayor of Bedfordview. She was a member of the Women's National Coalition. She soon became an MP in 1999 and served as one until 2009. She was also Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance's Women Network from 2005 to 2009 and the DA's political head in Benoni.
Semple became Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in April 2010 after she defeated incumbent John Moodey by just 8 votes. She was soon deployed to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in October 2010. She became the party's provincial spokesperson on Housing and the party's head in Boksburg.
Semple announced her retirement as the provincial leader in January 2012. Her predecessor, John Moodey, was elected as her successor at the party's March 2012 conference.
She left the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in May 2019.