President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday announced he would contribute half his salary this year to the Thuma Mina Fund, in honour of South Africa's founding father Nelson Mandela.

Delivering his budget vote in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa made a "citizen's appeal" for others with the means to contribute.

"I have decided to contribute half my presidential salary to a fund to be managed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation...and will direct resources to the many small social projects scattered across the country," he said.

The Thuma Mina Fund will be launched on July 18th, the 100th anniversary of Madiba's birth.