Hayley Reichert is a U.K. Mortgage and Protection Adviser helping many South Africans navigate the complex property market. Hayley has also been involved with the global South African community for the past decade through community, charity and political activities. This has led to her creating Operation Watershed as a civic initiative that is geared to run for the next 15-20 years as South Africa enters an era of coalition politics. Hayley regularly engages directly with the IEC, numerous opposition party leaders and other civic and charity groups. 

 

She is a former DA Abroad committee member who initiated the loss of citizenship campaign which, after a 9 year legal battle, the DA won the Supreme Court of Appeal in June 2023. She assisted with the overseas voting in 2014 and has helped thousands of South Africans with various Home Affairs related issues including citizenship queries, emergency travel and overstay ban cases, regularly liaising with senior government officials to resolve these matters.

 

Hayley does not currently hold membership to any political party and she also regularly liaises with numerous opposition party leaders, most recently taking part in the Multi Party Charter & Civic organisation meeting held on 28 November 2023. 

 

In 2020 she co-founded Home Away From Home repatriation project along with volunteers, the DA Abroad and the DA. Together they assisted over 22,000 people who were stranded abroad with returning to SA. They also ran the concurrent Project LISA (Locked in SA) where the team had to lobby then apply for urgent high court action to allow 20,000 South Africans to travel abroad during Covid SA airspace closure. In the 5 month period the team dealt with numerous government departments, arranged charter flights and helped with a number of traumatic and tragic cases. 

 

Later the same year she assisted on the ExCo of Move One Million, holding a successful launch in Trafalgar Square, London, with 600 South Africans on 5 September 2020 despite the UK being in lockdown and being threatened with a £10,000.00 fine from the Metropolitan Police. 

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On 24 February 2022, the day of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Hayley and two other South Africans initiated a project to assist fellow South Africans fleeing Ukraine. They helped 150 people (50 students, 50 South Africans and 50 relatives e.g. Ukranian spouses/children). 

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Hayley assisted the Mpumalanga bursary students in Russia when their studies were at jeopardy due to non-payment of fees, accomodation and stipends from government. Minister Blade Nzimande issued an attack statement against her in retaliation of her ENCA Interview.  She also raised awareness of the medical graduates from the Russia program who have been unable to register with Health Profession Council SA and sit their board exams due to government incompetence. Due to applied pressure, some students were finally able to write their exams in November 2023.

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In addition to her political work, Hayley also supports community initiatives in eThekwini (Durban).