🇿🇦 South Africa
Parliamentary republicElectoral democracy
Cyril Ramaphosa
President · 3,119 days in office · 1,022 days remaining
How the political system works in South Africa
South Africans vote for a parliament, and the parliament then elects the president. The president runs the government and represents the country, and is limited to two five-year terms.
Next election: 2029 — Next South African general election, expected 2029.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Thabo Mbeki
3,390 days
Shortest-serving
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri
4 days
Average tenure
1,447 days
Cyril Ramaphosa: 116% above average
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in South Africa?
Across 6 completed terms, the average president of South Africa has served 1,447 days (about 4.0 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,365 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of South Africa
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  Cyril Ramaphosa | Feb 15, 2018 | Incumbent | 3,119 |
| 6 |  Jacob Zuma | May 9, 2009 | Feb 14, 2018 | 3,203 |
| 5 |  Kgalema Motlanthe | Sep 25, 2008 | May 9, 2009 | 226 |
| 4 | Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri | Sep 25, 2008 | Sep 25, 2008 | 0 |
| 3 | Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri | Sep 14, 2005 | Sep 18, 2005 | 4 |
| 2 |  Thabo Mbeki | Jun 14, 1999 | Sep 24, 2008 | 3,390 |
| 1 |  Nelson Mandela | May 10, 1994 | Jun 14, 1999 | 1,861 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of South Africa?
- Cyril Ramaphosa has been President of South Africa since Feb 15, 2018.
- How is the leader of South Africa chosen?
- South Africans vote for a parliament, and the parliament then elects the president. The president runs the government and represents the country, and is limited to two five-year terms.
- Who is the longest-serving President of South Africa?
- Thabo Mbeki, with 3,390 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in South Africa?
- Across 6 completed terms, the average president of South Africa has served 1,447 days (about 4.0 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,365 days.