From DJing to sitting in Parliament: Nick Clelland on how he tried to have positive impact on SA

From spinning beats as a DJ to sitting in council and parliament, Nick Clelland’s career of public service and in private enterprise is like a Picasso painting. Up close, you cannot decipher it, but when viewed as a whole, the pieces fit together to create a picture of a person that was never simply on the South African sidelines, but in the trenches.

His resume reads like a Comrades marathon, long and accomplished. Clelland’s journey from the vibrant world of nightclubs to the corridors of power paints a narrative of profound transformation and the realisation of goals, he sets them, achieves them, and collects milestones along the way. 

Clelland studied political science at the University of Natal in 1994, the same year that the country celebrated its first free election. He paid his way through varsity by DJing. And it’s here, in Durban’s nightclubs, that it taught him how to read and influence the mood of large crowds – a skill that would become invaluable in his political career.

“Those nights behind the decks were not just about playing music; they were lessons in understanding group dynamics and emotional currents,” Clelland said, and drew parallels between his early career and his later success in politics.

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The shift from music to politics was driven by his increasing desire to effect more substantial societal change. He headed to politics during a time when South Africa was still defining its democratic identity.

“The transition was a natural progression for me, from influencing nightclub crowds to influencing public opinion and policy,” he explained.

This move was not just a change of environment, but he stepped-up to contribute to the local and later national stage where the stakes were much higher than getting a crowd going.

The Democratic Party became Clelland’s political home; it was the redubbed Progressive Federal Party under leader Zach de Beer that included a melding of Dennis Worral’s Independent Party and Wynand Malan’s National Democratic Movement. Three leaders, a fresh liberal party that hardly held much of a presence in the first democratic parliament.

It took Tony Leon to step into leadership that saw the 1999 Fight Back campaign demolish the National Party and position the DP as official opposition. From seven seats in parliament to 38. A year later, New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk led his organisation into the DP, becoming deputy leader of the new Democratic Alliance under Leon’s steer.

Starting as a local municipal councillor for the DA in 2006, Clelland soon made his mark with his pragmatic approach to governance and his relentless pursuit of policy effectiveness and implementation.  His rise to a member of parliament a few years later saw him championing greater governmental transparency and efficiency.

“Every role I’ve held was an opportunity to implement changes that could have immediate, positive impacts on our community and our country,” Clelland said, and added that driving tangible results was his absolute mission.

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In his parliamentary role where he spent a five-year term, Clelland was a vocal advocate for adopting best practices from the business world into government operations. His signature, that governance should be as dynamic and accountable as the best-run companies.

“We needed to be innovative and proactive in our governance strategies to truly serve the public interest effectively,” Clelland said.

But elected politics was not for him, and while politics pulsed through his veins, he felt that that he needed to step outside the bunfight, to look in.

Clelland moved onto the private sector after completing his term on the benches, joining former DA leader Tony Leon in consulting firm Resolve. It was here that the pair advised captains of industry, politicians and other assorted leaders on strategic issues and communication. 

He then formed Government Guild, a consultancy that specialises on coaching and training primarily political leaders on governance. His courses and seminars are designed to impart both the ethical foundations and practical skills necessary for effective political leadership.

“It’s crucial that we prepare future leaders to think critically, act ethically, and navigate the complexities of modern governance with a clear, informed perspective,” Clelland said. He now consults mostly outside of South Africa to a wide geography of political leaders.

But, he said, the Western Cape provincial government is an excellent example to cite.

“The Western Cape’s success is not by chance but the result of strategic planning, excellent governance, and the implementation of sound policies that genuinely consider the public’s needs,” he explained and added that it should be rolled out nationally.

The 2021 municipal elections and its coalition outcomes in major metros, as well as the mess that it created at first and, in some cases, still, is an important step forward in South African politics which, he said, remains fragmented.

Clelland suggested a more structured approach to coalitions, like practices in countries like Germany, where detailed agreements and shared goals underpin collaborative governance efforts.

“Our approach to coalitions needs to mature. It’s about building partnerships that are based on trust, shared visions, and a commitment to the public good,” Clelland advised, stressing the importance of strategic and mature coalition management.

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Clelland also just completed his second book, this time a novel, set for publication a few days before the elections on 29 May. Good Hope paints a picture of an independent Western Cape, but it’s tarred with a 1984-like dystopian hue.

“It’s very dark. It’s very authoritarian. Completely. But this is the thing that is so interesting, is that almost everything that I’ve included in this book exists today in some part of the world,” he said. “This book is a call to action for current and future leaders to reflect on our responsibilities and the impact of our decisions on the people we serve.”

His first book, Spin, The Art of Managing Media was a co-authored work with former DA strategist Ryan Coetzee, who also consults globally now.