Although South Africa is ready for a female president, financial resources and difficulties limit women to challenge the position. 

ANC veteran and member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said there was no reason for the country not to have a woman president. 

She said while the number of women serving as heads of State in Africa remains a minority, several women have excelled in these roles, demonstrating strong leadership and positive impact. 

The former chairperson of the African Union (AU) executive council members, said this record is evident in countries such as Liberia and Namibia.

Elle Johnson Sirleaf was the first female head of State in Africa, after she was elected as the President of Liberia from 2006 to 2017. 

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work in promoting peace, democracy and women’s rights. 

Her presidency was marked by efforts to rebuild Liberia after years of civil war, including debt relief and economic development and she also focused on promoting education and women’s empowerment. 

Nicknamed NNN, Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was the first woman elected as Namibia’s President on March 21, 2025. 

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t have a woman president. We have seen that Liberia did well when a woman was in charge. In Namibia it is still early but we can see that she is doing well and the decisions she is taking are very decisive and Pan-Africanist. I like her decisions and I think she will do well for Namibia,” said Dlamini-Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma also contested to become the ANC president in 2017. However, she lost the battle to businessman-turned-politician Cyril Ramaphosa who won 2,440 against her 2,261 votes during the ANC elective conference conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg. 

She said although nothing prevents women from becoming president, financial challenges limit them to compete for such positions. She added that this is because it is difficult for women to access financial resources. 

“Women don’t have money and men are able to use money to get to these positions. But there is no country that doesn’t have capable women,’’ she said, adding that South Africa is ready for a woman president. 

Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said Dlamini-Zuma is correct, adding that money assumed the centre stage in the ANC’s presidential contest. 

He said both Black and White businesses threw their weight behind Ramaphosa to ensure that Dlamini-Zuma did not emerge as the winner. 

“Again, typical of the corrupting nature and possible corrupt nature of the financial support Ramaphosa received, the whole matter had to be sealed from the public. Unlike Ramaphosa, who had to hurriedly rush to the courts, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has had no objection to the investigation being done as to where she received support.”

Another political analyst, Professor Siphamandla Zondi, said it is a known fact that patriarchy is a generalised condition of South African society and political parties exhibit it. He said this expresses itself in many ways including in equal access to essential resources and assets. 

“Challenging the presidency of the ANC requires resources and these resources are mostly in the hands of men who support other men more than women. This gives a strong man an advantage over a strong woman contender,’’ he said. 

He said that patriarchy also gives advantage to men, providing a perception that they are more competent, stronger and leader-like than women. 

Dlamini-Zuma said that South Africa should also look up to countries such as Rwanda, which is the first to have more than 60% women representation in parliament, adding that even though the ANC advocates for 50/50 representation, other political parties are not adhering to the policy, which brought the number to 46% in parliament. 

Dlamini-Zuma added that although women hold 50% of all leadership positions within the ANC, the percentage is not equal in the top positions. 

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za

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