Countries / Africa
ZAF
Elections in South Africa
parliamentary republic
Elections in South Africa: the next vote, who holds power now, and the country's election history. The next one is the next South African parliamentary election on May 2029. Head of state and government is Cyril Ramaphosa; the system of government is parliamentary republic.
Next election
next South African parliamentary election - May 2029
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CR
Cyril Ramaphosa live
Head of state & government - African National Congress
In office since
15 February 2018
Party
African National Congress
Region
Africa
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Elections nearby - Africa
Next election
next South African parliamentary election
May 2029
Government
parliamentary republic
Capital
Pretoria
Population
62 027 503
Country facts
Legislature
Parliament of South Africa
Established
1910
Currency
rand
Official language
English
Capital
Pretoria
Region
Africa
Area
1,221,037 km2
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Election history
14 June 2024presidential
South African presidential election
29 May 2024parliamentary
South African general election
22 May 2019presidential
South African presidential election
8 May 2019parliamentary
South African general election
15 February 2018presidential
South African presidential election
won: Cyril Ramaphosa
21 May 2014presidential
South African presidential election
7 May 2014parliamentary
South African general election
turnout 73.5%
6 May 2009presidential
South African presidential election
won: Jacob Zuma
22 April 2009parliamentary
South African general election
turnout 77.3%
25 September 2008presidential
South African presidential election
won: Kgalema Motlanthe
Presidential winner & turnout from Wikidata; parliamentary winners omitted (Wikidata data unreliable).
Power transferspeacefulcontestedirregular
2018 - Jacob Zuma Cyril Ramaphosa
peaceful - no coup recorded
Classification: Powell & Thyne Coup d'Etat Dataset, where available.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next election in South Africa?
The next South African parliamentary election is scheduled for May 2029.
Who is the current leader of South Africa?
The head of state and government is Cyril Ramaphosa (African National Congress).
When was the last election in South Africa?
The most recent was the South African presidential election on 14 June 2024.
What type of government does South Africa have?
South Africa is a parliamentary republic.
Profile from Wikidata - updated 2026-07-02.