Cyril Ramaphosa is South Africa’s President since 2018. Learn about his age (73), net worth, wife Tshepo Motsepe, political career, and the 2026 Phala Phala crisis.
Cyril Ramaphosa is one of the most consequential political figures in post-apartheid Africa. Born in Soweto in 1952, he rose from anti-apartheid activist and trade union pioneer to become South Africa’s fifth president — a journey spanning decades of struggle, extraordinary business success, and enduring political controversy. Since taking office in February 2018 following Jacob Zuma’s resignation, Ramaphosa has championed state renewal and economic reform, even as fresh challenges continue to test the foundations of his presidency.
In 2026, Ramaphosa’s leadership faces its most serious constitutional threat yet. The Constitutional Court’s landmark May 2026 ruling on the Phala Phala farm scandal has reignited impeachment proceedings, triggered internal ANC divisions, and prompted a defiant “I will not resign” declaration from the president himself. His story is one of remarkable reinvention — and of a leader still fighting to define his legacy.
RELATED: Ilyes Mzoughi Biography
Quick Facts About Cyril Ramaphosa
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Date of Birth | 17 November 1952 |
| Age | 73 years old (as of 2026) |
| Place of Birth | Soweto, South Africa |
| Profession | Politician, Businessman, Former Trade Union Leader |
| Current Role | President of South Africa (2018–present) |
| Party | African National Congress (ANC) |
| Spouse | Dr. Tshepo Motsepe (married 1996) |
| Children | 4 (Andile, Tumelo, Michaela, Tulisa) |
| Education | University of the North (South Africa) — Law |
| Net Worth | Estimated $700 million+ |
| Famous For | Ending apartheid negotiations, founding NUM, South Africa’s presidency |
Early Life and Family Background
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa was born on 17 November 1952 in Soweto, Johannesburg, to Samuel and Erdmuth Ramaphosa. He is of Venda heritage — one of South Africa’s smaller ethnic groups — and grew up navigating the rigid injustices of apartheid South Africa. His formative years in Soweto shaped his political consciousness at an early age, pushing him toward student activism long before he entered the political mainstream.
He attended Tshilidzi Primary School before moving to Sekano Ntoane High School in Soweto. He later graduated from Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda, in 1971, where he served as head of the Student Christian Movement. That leadership role foreshadowed a career built on organising, negotiating, and mobilising people around a cause.
Education and the Road to Activism
In 1972, Ramaphosa enrolled at the University of the North (now the University of Limpopo) to study law. It was there that his activism truly ignited. He became involved in the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and was detained twice — in 1974 and again in 1976, during the Soweto Uprising — under the Terrorism Act. These experiences did not silence him. They hardened his resolve.
After completing his law studies, Ramaphosa channelled his legal training not into private practice but into the labour movement — a decision that would alter South African history. He earned honorary doctorates from multiple institutions, including the University of Cape Town, the University of Pennsylvania, and the National University of Ireland Galway, recognising a lifetime of contributions that went far beyond the classroom.
Trade Union Leader and Anti-Apartheid Activist
Ramaphosa’s most defining early achievement came in 1982 when he founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one of the most powerful trade unions in South Africa’s history. Under his leadership, NUM grew from a small organisation into a formidable force with hundreds of thousands of members. He led major strikes and negotiated landmark agreements that improved wages and safety conditions for Black mine workers under apartheid.
His union work made him a national figure and earned him the respect of Nelson Mandela’s ANC. In 1991, he was appointed ANC Secretary-General, and by 1993 he had taken on the most delicate and consequential role of his career: chief negotiator in South Africa’s transition from apartheid. Ramaphosa sat across the table from the National Party’s Roelf Meyer and helped broker the historic multi-party negotiations that led to South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994.
The Business Empire: From Activist to Billionaire
After Nelson Mandela chose Thabo Mbeki as his deputy — a decision that effectively sidelined Ramaphosa from the immediate presidential succession — Ramaphosa pivoted sharply to business in the mid-1990s. The transition was so successful that it transformed him into one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals. He founded Shanduka Group, a diversified investment firm with interests in mining, energy, real estate, and fast food franchises.
At its peak, the Shanduka portfolio included stakes in Coca-Cola, McDonald’s South Africa, and several major mining operations. Forbes ranked Ramaphosa among Africa’s 50 richest individuals in 2015, with his net worth estimated at around $450 million at the time. More recent estimates place his wealth at over $700 million, cementing his status as one of South Africa’s most financially powerful figures. He established the Shanduka Foundation in 2004 — later rebranded as the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation — focusing on education and small business development through programmes like Adopt-a-School.
RECOMMENED: Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma Biography
Political Comeback and Path to the Presidency
Ramaphosa returned to mainstream politics in 2012 when he was elected to the ANC National Executive Committee. Two years later, President Jacob Zuma appointed him Deputy President of South Africa — a role he held from 2014 to 2018. Despite serving under Zuma, Ramaphosa was widely viewed as a counterweight to the state capture and corruption that ravaged public institutions during Zuma’s tenure.
In December 2017, Ramaphosa narrowly won the ANC presidential election, defeating Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma by a razor-thin margin. When Zuma resigned under pressure in February 2018, Ramaphosa was sworn in as South Africa’s fifth president. His inauguration was met with widespread hope, with supporters believing his business acumen and negotiating skill could steer the country out of Zuma-era decay. He was re-elected in the 2019 general election and continued to lead after the ANC’s historic loss of its parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections, forming a Government of National Unity.
Personal Life: Wife and Children
Cyril Ramaphosa has been married three times. His first marriage to Hope Ramaphosa lasted from 1978 to 1989; they have a son together. His second marriage to businesswoman Nomazizi Mtshotshisa — a trailblazing figure who became the first African female chairperson of a New York Stock Exchange-listed company’s board — ended in divorce in 1993. Mtshotshisa passed away in 2008.
Since 1996, Ramaphosa has been married to Dr. Tshepo Motsepe, a medical doctor and the sister of billionaire mining magnate Patrice Motsepe. The couple have three children together and are considered one of South Africa’s most prominent power couples. Ramaphosa is known to have four children in total: Andile, Tumelo, Michaela, and Tulisa. His son Andile attracted controversy in 2019 over a reported business deal with Bosasa — a company at the centre of state capture allegations — though Ramaphosa stated he would not shield his son from legal accountability.
The Phala Phala Scandal and the 2026 Constitutional Crisis
The most serious threat to Ramaphosa’s presidency centres on the Phala Phala farm saga. In 2020, a significant amount of US dollars — reportedly millions — was stolen from his game farm in Limpopo. Critics alleged the theft was never properly reported to police and that a cover-up followed. Former State Security Agency head Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa in 2022, igniting a political firestorm.
A Section 89 independent panel found prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer. In December 2022, the ANC used its parliamentary majority to vote against referring the report to an impeachment committee — a decision the Constitutional Court struck down on 8 May 2026, ruling it unconstitutional. The court ordered the report be sent to an impeachment committee, reopening the door to a full parliamentary inquiry.
In a nationally televised address on 11 May 2026, Ramaphosa was unequivocal: “I will not resign.” He announced plans to take the panel report on judicial review, arguing it contains grave errors of law and unfounded factual conclusions. Internal ANC divisions immediately erupted, with rival factions calling for his departure ahead of the November 2026 local government elections. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula publicly reaffirmed the party’s support, but the political ground under Ramaphosa’s feet remains deeply unstable.
Wrapping Up
Cyril Ramaphosa’s biography is the story of modern South Africa in miniature — the triumphs and tensions of a nation navigating democracy, inequality, and accountability all at once. From founding a mineworkers’ union under apartheid to negotiating the constitution that dismantled it, his contributions to South African history are undeniable and historic.
Yet his presidency in 2026 stands at a crossroads. The Phala Phala constitutional crisis has exposed fault lines within the ANC and put Ramaphosa’s political future in the hands of Parliament and the courts. Whether he weathers this storm or becomes another chapter in South Africa’s turbulent post-1994 leadership story, his place in history is already secured.
What remains uncertain is how the final chapter of his presidency will read — and whether the architect of South Africa’s democracy will be remembered as its great renewal figure, or as a leader who ultimately fell short of the standard he helped create.
READ: Sara Arjun Biography
People Also Ask
Is Cyril Ramaphosa going to resign over Phala Phala in 2026?
No. Following the Constitutional Court’s May 2026 ruling that Parliament’s 2022 vote to block an impeachment inquiry was unconstitutional, Ramaphosa addressed the nation and stated clearly, “I will not resign.” He announced plans to challenge the Section 89 panel report through judicial review, saying resignation would pre-empt a constitutional process still underway.
What is Cyril Ramaphosa’s net worth in 2026?
Ramaphosa is one of South Africa’s wealthiest individuals, with estimates placing his net worth at over $700 million. His fortune was built primarily through Shanduka Group, his investment company, which held major stakes in mining, energy, and consumer brands including McDonald’s South Africa and Coca-Cola franchises.
Who is Cyril Ramaphosa’s wife?
Ramaphosa is married to Dr. Tshepo Motsepe, a medical doctor, since 1996. She is the sister of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe. Ramaphosa was previously married twice — to Hope Ramaphosa (1978–1989) and to businesswoman Nomazizi Mtshotshisa (1991–1993), who passed away in 2008.
What did Cyril Ramaphosa do before becoming president?
Before becoming South Africa’s president in 2018, Ramaphosa had three distinct careers. He was a trade union leader who founded the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982; the ANC’s chief negotiator who helped end apartheid in the early 1990s; and a highly successful businessman who built a multi-industry investment empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars through Shanduka Group.
