Cyril Ramaphosa is the current President of South Africa and a prominent political and business leader. He has been married three times, but only two of his wives are still alive.
His first wife was Hope Ramaphosa, whom he divorced in 1989. His second wife was Nomazizi Mtshotshisa, a nurse, lawyer and activist who died in 2008.
His third and current wife is Tshepo Motsepe, a doctor and businesswoman, and sister of billionaire Patrice Motsepe.
Tshepo Motsepe
Tshepo Motsepe was born on 17 June 1953 in Soweto, South Africa. She is the daughter of the late Chief Augustine Butana Chaane Motsepe, a prominent businessman and community leader.
She has two siblings, Bridgette Radebe, a mining magnate and wife of former minister Jeff Radebe, and Patrice Motsepe, founder and chairwoman of African Rainbow Minerals and president of the Confederation of African Football.
Tshepo attended KwaMhlongo Primary School, Methodist Primary School, Welsh High School and Healdtown High School.
She then studied medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and earned a master’s degree in public health at the Harvard School of Public Health.
She also completed the Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Program at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Nomazizi Mtshotshisa
Nomazizi Mtshotshisa was born on 30 March 1944 in Duncan Village, East London, South Africa.
She is the daughter of Nyameka and Mbangeli Mtshotshisa, both teachers. She has four siblings, three brothers and one sister.
Nomazizi attended KwaMhlongo Primary School, Methodist Primary School, Welsh High School and Healdtown High School.
She then trained as a nurse at Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth and later earned a nursing degree. She also studied law at the University of South Africa and became a lawyer.
Married to Tshepo Motsepe
Tshepo Motsepe married Cyril Ramaphosa in 1996 after his divorce from his first wife, Hope. They have four children together: two sons and two daughters. Tshepo is Ramaphosa’s third and current wife and has been South Africa’s first lady since 2018.
She is also the first lady of the African Union as Ramaphosa served as president of the continental body from 2020 to 2021.
Tshepo and Ramaphosa have a strong and supportive relationship, often accompanying each other to official events and ceremonies.
Tshepo is also involved in various social and charitable activities, such as child development, women’s health and education.
Married to Nomazizi Mtshotshisa
Nomazizi Mtshotshisa married Cyril Ramaphosa in 1991 after he separated from his first wife, Hope. They had a son together, born in 1992. Nomazizi was Ramaphosa’s second wife, and they divorced in 1993.
Nomazizi and Ramaphosa remained on good terms after their divorce and continued to work together in various political and business ventures.
Nomazizi was also a close friend and ally of Nelson Mandela, former South African president and leader of the anti-apartheid movement.
Career efforts
Tshepo Motsepe has had a successful and varied career as a physician and businesswoman. She has worked in public and private clinics in Mmakau, Mahikeng, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Zimbabwe.
She is also deputy director of the Institute for Reproductive Health Research, focusing on maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS prevention.
She is currently the chairperson of the African Self-Help Trust, an organization that supports early childhood development and education.
She is also a board member of the Wits Health Consortium, HospiceWits, the Student Sponsorship Programme and the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
She has received several awards and recognitions for her work, such as the Harvard Alumni Award and the South African Woman of the Year Award.
In contrast, Nomazizi Mtshotshisa also had a notable and influential career as a nurse, a lawyer and an activist.
She worked as a legal aid assistant and later as director of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, where she coordinated legal assistance for political prisoners and detainees during the apartheid era.
She also traveled to Harare, Zimbabwe, where she mobilized outside support and resources for the anti-apartheid struggle.
She was also involved in building democracy and transforming state-owned enterprises in South Africa.
She is the chairperson of free-to-air television station eTV and chairwoman of the board of Telkom, South Africa’s largest telecommunications company.
She led Telkom through a rapid and far-reaching transformation, delivering unprecedented growth and a dual listing on the Johannesburg and New York stock exchanges.
She is also a board member of several other companies and organizations, such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the National Empowerment League, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Foundation.
Heritage
Tshepo Motsepe and Nomazizi Mtshotshisa are both inspirational and exemplary women who have left lasting legacies in South Africa and beyond.
Both have demonstrated courageous and visionary leadership in their respective fields and professions, and contributed to the socio-economic development of the country.
They are also role models and mentors to many other women and young people who aspire to follow in their footsteps.
Both prove that women can excel and make a difference in every area of life and they can balance their personal and professional roles with grace and dignity.
Death
Nomazizi Mtshotshisa died on 22 February 2008, aged 63, after a long illness. She was mourned by her ex-husband, son, family, colleagues and the country.
She was honored with a state funeral and posthumously awarded the Bronze Luthuli Medal, one of South Africa’s highest honors, for her immense contributions to the struggle for democracy.
