Cyril Ramaphosa

His Excellency
Cyril Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa in September 2024
5th President of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 February 2018
Deputy
Preceded byJacob Zuma
14th President of the African National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 December 2017
Deputy
  • David Mabuza
    (2017–2022)
  • Paul Mashatile
    (since 2022)
Preceded byJacob Zuma
7th Deputy President of South Africa
In office
26 May 2014 – 15 February 2018
PresidentJacob Zuma
Preceded byKgalema Motlanthe
Succeeded byDavid Mabuza
9th Deputy President of the African National Congress
In office
18 December 2012 – 18 December 2017
PresidentJacob Zuma
Preceded byKgalema Motlanthe
Succeeded byDavid Mabuza
13th Secretary-General of the African National Congress
In office
7 July 1991 – December 1996
PresidentNelson Mandela
Preceded byAlfred Nzo
Succeeded by
Member of the National Assembly
In office
9 May 1994 – December 1996
Additional offices 1982‍–‍2021
18th Chairperson of the African Union
In office
10 February 2020 – 6 February 2021
Preceded byAbdel Fattah el-Sisi[1]
Succeeded byFelix Tshisekedi
1st Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga
In office
2 April 2016 – 1 July 2021
Vice-ChancellorThoko Mayekiso
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byMandisa Maya
1st Secretary-General of the National Union of Mineworkers
In office
August 1982 – June 1991
PresidentJames Motlatsi
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKgalema Motlanthe
Personal details
Born
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa

(1952-11-17) 17 November 1952 (age 72)
Soweto, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouses
Hope Ramaphosa
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 1989)​
Nomazizi Mtshotshisa
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1993)​
​
(m. 1996)​
Children5 (estimated)
Alma mater
Occupation
Website

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president (leader) of the African National Congress (ANC).

Ramaphosa rose to national prominence as secretary general of South Africa's biggest and most powerful trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers.[2] In 1991, he was elected ANC secretary general under ANC president Nelson Mandela and became the ANC's chief negotiator during the negotiations that ended apartheid.[3][4] He was elected chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly after the country's first fully democratic elections in 1994 and some observers believed that he was Mandela's preferred successor.[5] However, Ramaphosa resigned from politics in 1996 and became well known as a businessman, including as an owner of McDonald's South Africa, chair of the board for MTN, member of the board for Lonmin, and founder of the Shanduka Group.

Ramaphosa returned to politics in December 2012 at the ANC's 53rd National Conference and served as the deputy president of South Africa under President Jacob Zuma from 2014 to 2018. He was also chairman of the National Planning Commission. At the ANC's 54th National Conference on 18 December 2017, he was elected president of the ANC. Two months later, the day after Zuma resigned on 14 February 2018, the National Assembly (NA) elected Ramaphosa as president of South Africa. He began his first full term as president in May 2019 following the ANC's victory in the 2019 general election. While president, Ramaphosa served as chairperson of the African Union from 2020 to 2021[1] and led South Africa's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramaphosa's net worth was estimated at over R6.4 billion ($450 million) as of 2018.[6] He has been criticised for his conduct and involvement in his business interests, including his harsh posture as a Lonmin director towards the Marikana miners' strike in the week ahead of the Marikana massacre.

On 19 December 2022, it was announced that the ANC's 55th National Conference had elected Ramaphosa to a second term as president of the ANC.[7] On 14 June 2024, the National Assembly of South Africa elected Ramaphosa to a second term as president of South Africa.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference cyrilsupport was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Saul, John S. (2014). South Africa – the present as history : from Mrs. Ples to Mandela & Marikana. Woodbridge, Suffolk. ISBN 9781847010926. OCLC 872681428.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "Ramaphosa has what it takes to fix South Africa's ailing ANC. But ..." TimesLIVE. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  4. ^ tinashe (30 June 2011). "Negotiations and the transition". South African History Online. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. ^ Munusamy, Ranjeni (20 December 2012). "Cyril Ramaphosa: the return of Nelson Mandela's chosen one". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Here are the 20 richest people in South Africa". BusinessTech. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Ramaphosa wins by outright majority". Moneyweb. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  8. ^ Imray, Gerald; Magome, Mogomotsi (14 June 2024). "South Africa's President Ramaphosa is reelected for second term after a dramatic late coalition deal". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.