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SA’s First Lady: Five things to know about Dr Tshepo Motsepe (and THAT kiss)
Did you know that President Cyril Ramaphosa was 'the sixth choice' on Dr Tshepo Motsepe's list of suitors?
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Dr Tshepo Motsepe share a kiss at the inauguration ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, 18 June. Pictures: X/ @Ndi_Muvenda_ and @GovernmentZA
South Africa’s accomplished First Lady, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, was at the side of her husband Cyril Ramaphosa as he was sworn in as president of the 7th administration on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
Dressed in a silvery rose-patterned ensemble, Motsepe cut a stylish figure next to her “Buffalo” as proceedings got underway at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Cyril Ramaphosa, Tshepo Motsepe and THAT kiss…
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo led Ramaphosa in the inauguration ceremony. After the president-elect signed the oath, there was THAT kiss which caused a stir on social media.
Ramaphosa walked over to his wife and gave her a sweet kiss before taking his seat, where the couple shared a laugh.
Behind every successful man…
Throughout the years, the 70-year-old Motsepe has competently filled her own space in our society as a respected medical doctor.
Five things to know about Dr Tshepo Motsepe
SA’s First Lady and her successful siblings
Motsepe – the eldest of seven children – was born in Soweto and grew up in Mathibestad in the Northwest province.
She is the sister of mogul and billionaire Patrice Motsepe and the daughter of the late Chief Augustine Butana Chaane Motsepe, both mining magnates and owners of the Mamelodi Sundowns.
The president’s wife is also the sister of Bridgette Radebe, the wife of former minister of energy Jeff Radebe.
An accomplished professional
Our First Lady obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and later pursued a Masters degree in Public Health in Maternal Child Health and Aging from the prestigious Harvard School of Public Health.
- She also completed a Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).
- Motsepe has worked in several hospitals, including the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and Parirenyatwa Hospital in Zimbabwe.
- She also worked with the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute and served as chairperson of the Gauteng Health Department’s Accreditation Committee.
How Tshepo met Cyril…
Motsepe tied the knot with Ramaphosa in 1996.
The doctor is the president’s third wife. Ramaphosa was married from 1978 to 1989 to Hope Ramaphosa, with whom he has a son, Andile, and from 1991 to 1993 to the late businesswoman Nomazizi Mtshotshisa.
In an interview with Pasella, Motsepe shared that she met Ramaphosa on a blind date set up by her friends when she was 33.
“My friends kept saying I was getting old and needed to settle down. He was not my first choice but my sixth,” Motsepe revealed in the interview.
Motsepe and Ramaphosa share three children
The couple has three children named Tumelo, Kiki and Mashudu.
Tumelo, who is their youngest son, is a crypto exchange expert, as well as the founder and owner of high-end butchery Studex Meat. The butchery supplies meat to five-star restaurants around the country.
ALSO READ: Is Tumelo Ramaphosa dating ‘Diamonds and Dolls’ star Eva Modika?
Motsepe the philanthropist
The president’s wife is the chairperson of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation which aims to improve lives by creating opportunities through education and enterprise development.
She serves as a patron of the Early Care Foundation; South African Civil Society for Women’s, Adolescents’ and Children’s Health and the Students Sponsorship Programme.
Motsepe is also a trustee of the Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand.
According to a previous report by City Press, our First Lady also helped support a young girl named Kgothatso Molefe through school.
NOW READ: Ramaphosa: I will be a president for all, not just some South Africans
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