Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African politician, businessman, and former anti-apartheid activist serving as the President of South Africa since 2018. He gained public attention for playing a leading role in the negotiations that ended apartheid, later becoming one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen before returning to politics to lead the African National Congress (ANC).
Quick Facts
Full Name: Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
Age: 73 (born November 17, 1952)
Nationality: South African
Occupation: President of South Africa
Known For: Leading anti-apartheid negotiations; Phala Phala “Farmgate” scandal; facing possible impeachment
Marital Status: Married to Tshepo Motsepe
Children: Four
Early Life and Background
Ramaphosa was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 17, 1952. In 1962, his family was relocated from Western Native Township to Soweto, where he attended Tshilidzi Primary School. He completed his high school education at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda, in 1971, and later obtained a law degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1981 while working as a law clerk.
Career and Achievements
Ramaphosa’s career spans anti-apartheid activism, labor leadership, business, and politics. As a student at the University of the North in 1972, he became involved in student politics, joining the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC). His activism led to his detention under the apartheid regime, first for 11 months in solitary confinement in 1974 and again for six months in 1976 following the Soweto student uprising.
In 1982, Ramaphosa co-founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), serving as its first general secretary and growing its membership from 6,000 to over 300,000. He became a key figure in the founding of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and led the historic 1987 mineworkers’ strike, one of the largest in South Africa’s history.
He played a pivotal role as the ANC’s chief negotiator during the talks that ended apartheid, serving as secretary-general of the ANC from 1991 to 1997. He was elected president of the ANC in December 2017 and became President of South Africa on February 15, 2018, later being reelected on June 19, 2024.
Between his political careers, Ramaphosa built a substantial business empire through the Shanduka Group, founded in 2001, with holdings in Standard Bank, MTN, Bidvest, and the South African franchise of McDonald’s. Forbes estimated his net worth at over R2.4 billion.
Major Event or Controversy
Ramaphosa is at the center of a scandal known locally as “Farmgate”. In February 2020, $580,000 in cash was stolen from a sofa at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province. The money was reportedly payment from a Sudanese businessman for 20 buffaloes, and the incident was not reported through standard police channels.
An independent Section 89 panel found “prima facie evidence” that Ramaphosa may have violated his oath of office, abused his power, and flouted foreign currency laws . In December 2022, parliament then controlled by an ANC majority voted 214 to 148 against setting up an impeachment committee.
On May 8, 2026, the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had acted unconstitutionally in blocking the impeachment process. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya stated that terminating the process without considering the merits had the effect of “stifling informed debate and undermining the values of accountability and transparency”.
Why He Is In the News
Ramaphosa is in the news following the Constitutional Court ruling, with opposition leader Julius Malema demanding his immediate resignation. Parliament must now refer the panel’s report to an impeachment committee, which could lead to a vote on his removal from office. Unlike in 2022, the ANC no longer holds a majority in parliament after the 2024 elections, making Ramaphosa more vulnerable to removal.
Conclusion
Cyril Ramaphosa is a former anti-apartheid hero and labor leader who became one of South Africa’s wealthiest businessmen before returning to lead the country. His political future is now uncertain following a Constitutional Court ruling that could reopen impeachment proceedings stemming from the Phala Phala scandal, threatening his legacy as an anti-corruption crusader.
