Politics of South Africa
South Africa is a flawed democracy with a multi-party coalition government.
The politics of South Africa are defined by its status as a unitary parliamentary democratic republic, where the President serves as both head of state and head of government. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has dominated the political landscape, though its share of the vote has decreased significantly in recent years.
- government_type
- Unitary parliamentary democratic republic
- head_of_state_and_government
- President (elected by National Assembly)
- current_president
- Cyril Ramaphosa (ANC)
- largest_party
- African National Congress (ANC)
- second_largest_party
- Democratic Alliance (DA)
- electoral_system
- Universal suffrage since 1994
Reader's Guide
The post-1994 era established a multi-party democracy with universal suffrage, but the ANC's dominance has waned. The Democratic Alliance, led by Geordin Hill-Lewis, is the main opposition and a member of the coalition. Other major parties include uMkhonto we Sizwe (Official Opposition), the Economic Freedom Fighters, and the Inkatha Freedom Party. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated South Africa a 'flawed democracy' in 2022.
Did You Know?
- The Democratic Alliance is led by Geordin Hill-Lewis, who also serves as Mayor of Cape Town.
- The New National Party, which introduced and ended apartheid, disbanded in 2005 to merge with the ANC.
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