List of heads of state of South Africa

This is a list of the heads of state of South Africa, from the foundation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 to the present day.

From 1910 to 1961 the head of state under the South Africa Act 1909 was the Monarch, who was the same person as the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Dominions/Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in South Africa by a Governor-General. South Africa became a republic under the Constitution of 1961 and the monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial State President. In 1984, under the Tricameral Constitution, the State President gained executive powers, becoming head of both state and government. Since 1994, under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution, the head of state and government has been called the President.

Monarchs (1910–1961)

The succession to the throne of South Africa was the same as the succession to the throne of the United Kingdom, governed by the Act of Settlement 1701. During the Abdication Crisis the South African parliament passed its own act, "His Majesty King Edward the Eighth's Abdication Act, 1937", to ratify the abdication of Edward VIII.

Monarch			Reign			Royal House	Prime Minister(s)
#	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		King George V (1865–1936)	31 May 1910	20 January 1936	25 years, 234 days	House of Windsor	Botha Smuts Hertzog
2		King Edward VIII (1894–1972)	20 January 1936	11 December 1936 (Abdicated)	326 days	House of Windsor	Hertzog
3		King George VI (1895–1952)	11 December 1936	6 February 1952	15 years, 57 days	House of Windsor	Hertzog Smuts Malan
4		Queen Elizabeth II (1926–)	6 February 1952	31 May 1961	9 years, 114 days	House of Windsor	Malan Strijdom Verwoerd

Governors-General of South Africa

The Governor-General was the representative of the monarch in South Africa and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the Status of the Union Act, 1934, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of South Africa without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

Status

  Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government

Governor-General			Term of office			Monarch(s)	Prime Minister(s)
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		The Viscount Gladstone (1854–1930)	31 May 1910	8 September 1914	4 years, 100 days	George V	Botha
2		The Earl of Buxton (1853–1934)	8 September 1914	17 November 1920	6 years, 70 days	George V	Botha Smuts
3		Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938)	17 November 1920	21 January 1924	3 years. 65 days	George V	Smuts
4		The Earl of Athlone (1874–1957)	21 January 1924	26 January 1931	7 years, 5 days	George V	Smuts Hertzog
5		The Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955)	26 January 1931	5 April 1937	6 years, 69 days	George V Edward VIII George VI	Hertzog
6		Sir Patrick Duncan (1870–1943)	5 April 1937	17 July 1943 (Died in office)	6 years, 103 days	George VI	Hertzog Smuts
		Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet (1873–1960)	17 July 1943	1 January 1946	2 years, 168 days	George VI	Smuts
7		Gideon Brand van Zyl (1873–1956)	1 January 1946	1 January 1951	5 years	George VI	Smuts Malan
8		Ernest George Jansen (1881–1959)	1 January 1951	25 November 1959 (Died in office)	8 years, 328 days	George VI Elizabeth II	Malan Strijdom Verwoerd
		Lucas Cornelius Steyn (1903–1976)	25 November 1959	11 December 1959	16 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd
9		Charles Robberts Swart (1894–1982)	11 December 1959	30 April 1961 (Resigned)	1 year, 140 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd
		Lucas Cornelius Steyn (1903–1976)	30 April 1961	31 May 1961	31 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd

Ceremonial State President of South Africa (1961–1984)

Under the 1961 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the State President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The State President was elected by Parliament for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Senate served as Acting State President.

Status

  Denotes President of the Senate acting as State President

State President			Term of office			Political party	Prime Minister(s)
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Charles Robberts Swart (1894–1982)	31 May 1961	1 June 1967 (Resigned)	6 years, 1 day	National Party	Verwoerd Vorster
		Theophilus Ebenhaezer Dönges (1898–1968)	Elected but did not take office because of illness			National Party
		Jozua François Naudé (1889–1969)	1 June 1967	10 April 1968	314 days	National Party	Vorster
2		Jacobus Johannes Fouché (1898–1980)	10 April 1968	9 April 1975	6 years, 364 days	National Party	Vorster
		Johannes de Klerk (1903–1979)	9 April 1975	19 April 1975	10 days	National Party	Vorster
3		Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs (1903–1978)	19 April 1975	21 August 1978 (Died in office)	3 years, 124 days	National Party	Vorster
		Marais Viljoen (1915–2007)	21 August 1978	10 October 1978	50 days	National Party	Vorster Botha
4		B. J. Vorster (1915–1983)	10 October 1978	4 June 1979 (Resigned)	237 days	National Party	Botha
5		Marais Viljoen (1915–2007)	4 June 1979	19 June 1979	5 years, 91 days	National Party	Botha
			19 June 1979	3 September 1984

Executive State President of South Africa (1984–1994)

Under the 1983 Constitution the State President was head of both state and government. The State President was elected by an electoral college chosen by Parliament and served until the next general election, but was eligible for re-election. In the event of a vacancy the Cabinet would nominate a member to serve as Acting State President.

Status

  Denotes Acting State President

State President			Term of office			Political party
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
6[1]		P. W. Botha (1916–2006)	3 September 1984	14 September 1984	4 years, 346 days	National Party
			14 September 1984	15 August 1989 (Resigned)
7		F. W. de Klerk (1936–)	15 August 1989	20 September 1989	4 years, 268 days	National Party
			20 September 1989	10 May 1994

President of South Africa (1994–)

Under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution the President is head of both state and government. The President is elected by the National Assembly and serves a term that expires at the next general election; a President may serve a maximum of two terms. In the event of a vacancy the Deputy President serves as Acting President.

President			Term of office			Political party
#	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
8		Nelson Mandela (1918–2013)	10 May 1994	16 June 1999	5 years, 37 days	African National Congress
9		Thabo Mbeki (1942–)	16 June 1999	24 September 2008 (Resigned)	9 years, 100 days	African National Congress
10		Kgalema Motlanthe (1949–)	25 September 2008	9 May 2009	226 days	African National Congress
11		Jacob Zuma (1942–)	9 May 2009	Incumbent	6 years, 350 days (as of 23 April 2016)	African National Congress

Living former heads of state

There are four living former South African Heads of State:

Image	Name	Term/Reign	Office	Date of birth
	Elizabeth II	1952–1961	Queen of South Africa	21 April 1926
	F. W. de Klerk	1989–1994	State President of South Africa	18 March 1936
	Thabo Mbeki	1999–2008	President of South Africa	18 June 1942
	Kgalema Motlanthe	2008–2009	President of South Africa	19 July 1949

External links

1. Chris Heunis was Acting State President from 19 January 1989 – 15 March 1989

• World Statesmen – South Africa
• Rulers.org – South Africa