JOHANNESBURG — Speculation is intensifying across South African political circles that Patrice Motsepe, the billionaire mining magnate and president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), may be positioning himself for the most consequential political move of his career: a candidacy for president of the African National Congress (ANC) — and, by extension, for the presidency of South Africa itself.
With President Cyril Ramaphosa’s current term expiring at the ANC’s 2027 elective conference, the question of who will lead the party into the next election cycle has moved to the center of South African politics.
Who Is Patrice Motsepe?
Patrice Motsepe, 62, is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a mining company with operations across South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. He served as minister of mineral resources and energy from 2009 to 2014 under President Jacob Zuma.
More recently, Motsepe became globally prominent through his role as CAF president, where he has overseen the reorganization of African football governance, the expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations to 24 teams, and the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to African nations.
The PM27 Campaign: Building Momentum
Though Motsepe has publicly denied any ambition to lead the ANC, his associates have been actively laying the groundwork for a possible candidacy. The PM27 campaign has been quietly building support within ANC provincial structures, particularly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the North West.
‘Patrice has the profile that can unite the party,’ said a source close to the Motsepe family. ‘He is not tainted by corruption, he has shown he can manage big organizations, and he can bring the business community along.’
Not everyone in the ANC is enthusiastic. ‘The ANC was founded to represent workers and the poor,’ said a senior party member from Gauteng. ‘Now we are talking about one of the richest men in Africa leading us. That is a fundamental contradiction.’
Risks and Uncertainties
Should Motsepe ascend to the ANC presidency, he would face an extraordinarily complex set of challenges: an economy with 30 percent unemployment, a mounting debt crisis, and deep social unrest over inequality. ‘The ANC needs a leader who can rebuild trust, attract investment, and unite a country that is increasingly disillusioned,’ said Dr. Ralf Gumbi of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.