10 interesting facts about President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa is flanked by his wife Dr Tshepo Motsepe and the Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete.

While the fifth post-democracy president is a seasoned politician and businessman there are many interesting things about Cyril Ramaphosa that the public are not aware of.

For instance, how many people know that Ramaphosa was in fact Nelson Mandela's preferred candidate to succeed him as president? Or that Number 1 was the first secretary-general of Cosatu?

Here are ten interesting facts about SA's new president:

1. He is one of the richest people in the country and is estimated to be worth around R5.67 billion.

2. He has four children and is married to Dr Tshepo Motsepe, the sister of mega-rich Patrice Motsepe, but has kept his family out of the public eye.

3. Ramaphosa was an acting professor of law at Sanford University in 1991.

4. His Cape Town home, a mansion in the shadow of Lion's Head, is valued at around R30 million.

5. He was an inspector of the IRA weapons dumps in Northern Ireland.

6. Ramaphosa is an Ankole cattle breeder and in 2017 one of his prize bulls sold for a whopping R640 000 at auction.

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

8. In 2011 Ramaphosa was awarded a 20-year franchise with fast food giant McDonald's.

9. Ramaphosa had previously campaigned to be president, but lost the race to Thabo Mbeki.

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