Billionaire who jogs and eats salad

HERE are 10 interesting facts about the new president:

1. His full name is Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and he was born in Soweto on 17 November 1952.

2. He is one of the richest people in the country and is estimated to be worth about R5.67 billion. His Cape Town home, a mansion in the shadow of Lion’s Head, is valued at around R30 million, but as president he gets to move into Groote Schuur in Rondebosch.

3. He is married to Dr Tshepo Motsepe, the sister of Patrice Motsepe, and has four children.

He keeps his family out of the public eye. His brother Douglas, a businessman, was recently appointed Curro’s independent non-executive director.

4. He is the founder of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, which “aims to foster the development of an inclusive society that is empowered”, and with his wife, he assists a number of disadvantaged students financially.

5. Ramaphosa has a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Unisa and a number of honorary doctorates, and served as an acting professor of law at Stanford University in 1991.

6. He previously campaigned to become president of the ANC but lost to Thabo Mbeki in 1997.

As a result of that defeat he left politics.

He has served on the ANC’s national executive committee, as secretary-general of the party and deputy president of the organisation and the country.

7. Ramaphosa breeds

Ankole cattle and in 2017 one of his prize bulls sold for R640 000 at auction.

8. He got the nickname “Buffalo” when he bid R18m for a prized buffalo cow in 2012. He was outbid and later apologised.

9. He is on record as saying that his favourite food is fish and salad.

10. He is known to enjoy a run in the morning to prepare for the day ahead.