Cyril Ramaphosa
Cyril Ramaphosa is the fifth President of South Africa, having taken office in February 2018. He is a South African politician, businessman and former trade union leader who rose to prominence as the general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers during the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1980s. Ramaphosa played a key role in negotiating South Africa's transition to democracy and was chief negotiator for the African National Congress during the constitutional talks that led to the country's first democratic elections in 1994. After leaving politics in the mid-1990s, he built a substantial business career, becoming one of South Africa's wealthiest individuals through investments in mining, telecommunications and other sectors. He returned to active politics in 2012 when he was elected deputy president of the ANC, and subsequently served as Deputy President of South Africa from 2014 to 2018 under President Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa became president following Zuma's resignation and won a full term in the 2019 general election, then secured a second term in 2024 at the head of a Government of National Unity. His presidency has focused on tackling corruption, reviving economic growth and addressing the country's energy crisis and high unemployment. He recurs in coverage of South African politics, economic policy, state capture investigations and regional African affairs. Ramaphosa studied law at the University of South Africa and began his career as a legal adviser to the Council of Unions of South Africa before founding the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982.
Cyril Ramaphosa Updates
Mass shootings show the face of South African murder is changing 
By: Bloomberg 2nd October 2026 On a recent Saturday night, a minibus taxi drew up to a tavern in the gold-mining town of Carletonville west of Johannesburg. Eight men armed with... →
SA: Patricia de Lille: Address by Minister of Tourism, Tourism Investment Summit 2026 (01/10/2026)
2nd October 2026 This Summit takes place at an important moment for tourism, because globally and domestically there is growing recognition that tourism must be... →
SA: Dr Leon Schreiber: Address by Minister of Home Affairs, at the Home Affairs Quantum Leap: A Vision for the Future of Government at Constitution Hill (01/10/2026)
2nd October 2026 More than any other department, Home Affairs had become synonymous with public sector failure. Millions of South Africans associated it with taking... →
GBV crisis in Northern Cape demands action, not another audit
1st October 2026 The discovery of a woman’s body in a shallow grave inside a shack in Lerato Park, Kimberley, yesterday, alongside reports of the horrific gang rape... →
South Africa’s public service: new laws aim to put competent people in charge and hold them to account
1st October 2026 South Africa has been on a decades-long journey of reforming its public service. But serious problems persist. In September 2026 the urgency for... →
Daily Podcast – September 30, 2026
By: Halima Frost 30th September 2026 Making headlines: South Africa summons US ambassador again over 'undiplomatic conduct'; Parties criticise Ramaphosa’s ‘delayed response’ to... →
New report shows housing, energy stalled despite GNU’s upward trajectory, but no promises broken
By: Thabi Shomolekae 30th September 2026 As South Africa’s Government of National Unity enters its third year, its central challenge has fundamentally shifted, with the initial phase of... →
US-South Africa rift: separating the optics from the substance
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 30th September 2026 As political space between the countries widens, durable commercial ties and strategic interests provide room for a pragmatic bargain. Despite... →
South Africa: Immediate measures on GBVF come seven years too late
30th September 2026 In response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on the national response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), Amnesty International... →
Parties criticise Ramaphosa’s ‘delayed response’ to Ekurhuleni femicide crisis
By: Thabi Shomolekae 30th September 2026 Opposition parties and civil rights organisations have criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent national address on gender-based violence and... →
