Archbishop-Elect Sithembele Sipuka reflects as he prepares to lead Cape Town
By Kati Dijane – It’s been two weeks since the appointment of Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka as the new Archbishop-Elect of Cape Town. His appointment has since made headlines, earning him congratulatory messages and interviews after it was announced by the Vatican Press Office on Friday, 9 January 2026.
The newly appointed Archbishop Sipuka succeeds Cardinal Stephen Brislin, who had been serving as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Cape Town since October 2024, after his transfer to Johannesburg.
As he prepares to take up pastoral leadership in one of the country’s metropolitan archdioceses, Bishop Sipuka, currently at the SACBC plenary in Pretoria, took time to speak about his new role, with a deep sense of pilgrimage both personally and ecclesiastically.
A welcoming archdiocese and hopeful beginnings
Reflecting on his initial engagements with Cape Town, Bishop Sipuka says his early impressions have been encouraging. Meetings with consultors, the finance committee and staff at the chancery have painted a picture of a Church that is functioning well, with committed priests and faithful who remain engaged in the life of the archdiocese.
“There was a sense that people were happy to have a new archbishop,” he notes about the stability and pastoral continuity that a new appointment brings. That warm reception, he says, helped ease his initial anxieties about the transition.
Although he acknowledges that he has only encountered a small cross-section of the archdiocese so far, Bishop Sipuka is eager to listen more deeply as he begins parish visits and meets various groups. “The first impression is good,” he says, adding that understanding Cape Town fully will require time, presence and attentiveness.
Saying goodbye to Mthatha
Leaving the Diocese of Mthatha, where he has served as bishop since 2008, is not without emotion. Bishop Sipuka describes the farewell as bittersweet, shaped by both human attachment and spiritual surrender.
“Humanly speaking, I wouldn’t mind staying in Mthatha for the rest of my life,” he admits. “I know it well, and it has become home.”
Yet his understanding of the Church as a pilgrim people brings him peace. Bishops, he explains, are not consecrated for one place alone but for the wider needs of the Church. His greatest concern as he departs is that the diocese he leaves behind should not remain without a shepherd for too long.
“I pray for a quick appointment of a new bishop,” he says, noting that a prolonged sede vacante can be difficult for local communities.
Balancing leadership and wellbeing
In addition to his episcopal responsibilities, Bishop Sipuka carries significant national and international roles. He serves as President of the South African Council of Churches and is a member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue — commitments that demand time, energy and discernment.
As he prepares to move to Cape Town, a much larger archdiocese than Mthatha, he acknowledges the importance of caring for his own well-being. “One has to be aware of one’s limitations,” he reflects candidly, adding that he will need to discern carefully which responsibilities to continue, reduce or relinquish.
While deeply committed to service, he recognises that sustainable leadership requires balance, a lesson increasingly vital in the life of the Church.
A call to the youth in a jubilee year
With 2026 marking the 75th Jubilee of the establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in Southern Africa, Bishop Sipuka has a clear and urgent message for young people: engage.
“They are the now of the Church,” he says, lamenting the limited presence and participation of young people in parish life. Yet his tone is not one of despair, but invitation. He is determined to continue engaging young people in Cape Town, just as he has done in Mthatha.
“I am not going to give up on them,” he says firmly. “I am asking them to come forward so that we can talk and find a way forward together.”
A shepherd shaped by formation
Born on 27 April 1960, Bishop Sipuka was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Queenstown on 17 December 1988. Before becoming Bishop of Mthatha in 2008, he served as Rector of St John Vianney National Seminary, where he played a formative role in shaping future priests and pastoral leaders. He also served the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) for over a decade, contributing to the Church’s continental mission.
As he prepares to lead the Archdiocese of Cape Town, Bishop Sipuka brings with him decades of pastoral experience, ecumenical leadership and a spirituality rooted in pilgrimage. He aims to continue being attentive to people, open to dialogue and responsive to the evolving needs of the Church.
