Cyril Ramaphosa was Nelson Mandela's chief negotiator in the talks that ended apartheid. He chaired the body that wrote the new constitution. When he lost out on the presidency in 1999, he went into business and became very wealthy. He returned to politics promising to clean up corruption after the Zuma years. His presidency has faced power cuts, slow growth and a scandal over cash at his farm. In 2024 he formed a coalition government.
Key Milestones
1982: Founds the National Union of Mineworkers
1991: Becomes ANC secretary-general
1996: Chairs the assembly that writes the new constitution
2018: Becomes President
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is serving as the fifth president of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president of the African National Congress (ANC).
