Derrick America

At high school, America was a vocal opponent of apartheid and organised student protests. He first started work at the South African Post Office, where he had a confrontation with management about the apartheid system in place for employees.[1] America was then educated at the University of the Western Cape where he received a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours. His area of study focused on management and the labour market. He subsequently completed a Master of Business Administration at the Curtin University in Perth, Australia. America then worked as a school teacher, teaching business economics and accounting. He then served as an academic at Cape Peninsula University of Technology until 2009, lecturing in labour law and business courses.[2] America also arbitrated on labour disputes at the Commission for Concilliation Mediation and Arbitration from 2009–2011.

America was first elected as a Councillor in the City of Cape Town in May 2011. He represented residents of Kensington, Factreton, Maitland until 2014. He was elected as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa in May 2014, representing the Democratic Alliance. He was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in 2019.