Former President FW de Klerk was optimistic about a Jacob Zuma Presidency, he said in London on Tuesday evening.

Addressing the Royal Commonwealth Society, De Klerk said Zuma's Cabinet choices were a good sign, The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel's appointment as the head of the National Planning Commission would give him "the status almost of a Prime Minister".

The decision to appoint former South African Revenue Services (SARS) head Pravin Gordhan as Manuel's successor was another promising move, since he had turned SARS into "the most effective organ of the state", said De Klerk.

He was also impressed by the appointments of businessman Tokyo Sexwale as the new Human Settlements Minister and Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder as the deputy Minister of Agriculture.

De Klerk, who played a key role in South Africa's smooth transition to democracy, said he was optimistic that Zuma would "confound the prophets of doom".