President Jacob Zuma has said that African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Julius Malema does sometimes go "overboard", The Times reported on Friday.

"I have discussed with Malema some of the statements he has made. Certainly, in a number of cases he does go overboard as a young man," Zuma said during an interview on MTV Base.

Zuma said Malema could be coached to grow as a leader.

"We've got to talk to Julius, we've got to grow him [and] make him to become a leader that we want to know," Zuma said.

He said elections for the league could put Malema's ability to mature under scrutiny.

"What he does today is also going to do a lot to the coming elections of the ANCYL- whether he is re-elected or not. At times it might be in his nature that he will never change," he said.

Malema is currently involved in an Equality Court case over remarks he made suggesting that the woman who accused Zuma of rape, had a "nice time". Zuma was acquitted of the charge.

At the beginning of the year during electioneering, Malema said: "Those who had a nice time will wait until the sun comes out, request breakfast and ask for taxi money.

"In the morning, that lady requested breakfast and taxi money."

The equality case has been postponed to September 21 for cross-examination.

In the past, Malema has generated controversy calling Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille a "racist little girl" and Congress of the People coleader and former Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, a "security guard" who had defaulted on child support payments.

In February this year, he apologised to then education minister Naledi Pandor for comments he made about her "fake accent".

He also said the league would kill for ANC leader Jacob Zuma. He later replaced the word "kill" with "eliminate" in similar statements.