South African President Cyril Ramaphosa celebrates his birthday on 17 November, according to information from the
webcsite of the South African presidency.

The politician was born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg. He started law school at the University of the North in 1972, where he became involved in student politics by joining the South African Student Organisation. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, he started working as a lawyer in a law firm. He then joined the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) as a legal advisor.

After South Africa’s first democratic elections on 27 April 1994, Ramaphosa became a member of parliament and was elected as Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly. In this position, he was responsible for drafting South Africa’s first internationally recognised democratic constitution. His political career spans an important contribution to South Africa’s transition to democracy.

In December 2017, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as the head the African National Congress. In February 2018, he became President of the Republic of South Africa following the resignation of Jacob Zuma. He was subsequently re-elected as president of South Africa in June 2024.

Photo:
Xinhua News Agency