An anonymous online campaign has emerged promoting South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as a candidate for the leadership of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), setting an early tone for a succession race that will shape the country’s future.
While South Africa’s next national election is scheduled for 2029, the contest to replace President Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president is already heating up. The party’s elective conference, where its leader—and by extension the country’s likely next president—will be chosen, is expected next year. Ramaphosa is serving his second and final term as both party and state president.
The campaign, visible on a dedicated website, positions Motsepe—a 64-year-old mining magnate and current president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)—as a unifying and visionary figure who could restore the ANC’s credibility. The site describes him as “the most credible, unifying, and visionary leader to guide the ANC.”
However, the origins of the campaign are not disclosed, and Motsepe has not made any public statement regarding political office. Historically, he has consistently distanced himself from party politics, stating he has no ambition for an ANC leadership position.
This development comes as the ANC’s national leadership has issued a formal reminder to its members about the party’s strict rules prohibiting early canvassing and campaigning for leadership positions. The statement underscores the formal process, which will only open in due course, and seeks to discourage premature factional activity.
Motsepe’s profile combines immense wealth from the mining sector with significant soft power through his role in African football. His potential candidacy would introduce a notable non-politician into the typically complex internal dynamics of the ANC, a movement that has governed South Africa since 1994 but has seen its electoral majority erode in recent years.
The significance of the ANC’s leadership contest cannot be overstated. The party’s president has consistently become the national president due to the ANC’s longstanding parliamentary majority. Whoever succeeds Ramaphosa will lead the party into the 2029 general election and likely helm the government, inheriting challenges including high unemployment, economic stagnation, and persistent poverty.
The anonymous campaign highlights the early jockeying for position within the ruling party. Yet it exists in tension with the ANC’s formal structures and rules, which govern how and when leadership ambitions may be declared. Observers will watch for any official response from Motsepe or his associates, and for whether the campaign gains traction among party branches or remains an isolated digital initiative.
The episode illustrates the long and opaque nature of South Africa’s political succession planning, where informal promotions can begin years before the formal process, testing the party’s discipline mechanisms. The outcome of the 2027 ANC elective conference will ultimately determine the trajectory of South African governance for the next five years.
