Academic qualifications of South Africa’s top political leaders

The academic qualifications of South Africa’s major political party leaders vary, with some holding doctorates and others having advanced to their current positions without a matric certificate to their name.

The qualifications are also incredibly diverse, ranging from education to philosophy, a testament to the fact that one doesn’t need a specific qualification to enter politics.

The political leader with the most decorated resume in terms of academic qualifications is Freedom Front Plus leader Corne Mulder, who is the only politician on the list to hold a doctorate.

Mulder, who came from a very long line of politicians, told Newsday in a recent interview that his father told him from a young age that he couldn’t just “fall into” politics.

Instead, he had to qualify himself for something else if he could. “I came from a very political home where we discussed politics morning, noon, and night,” Mulder said. “So politics was my hobby, but I studied law.”

After completing his undergraduate degree in Law, taking International Politics and Political Science as extra subjects, he did his LLB at the North West University.

He then pursued his doctorate, completing research at the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London and the Max-Planck Institute for Public and International Law, where he became the youngest person to receive a doctorate in the faculty.

The second most-qualified of South Africa’s top political leaders are Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters and Velenkosini Hlabisa of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

Both hold diplomas, Bachelor’s degrees and Honours degrees.

Malema completed a two-year Diploma in Youth Development through the University of South Africa in 2010, while a part of the African National Congress Youth League.

Six years later, he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and African languages at the same institution, followed by an Honours degree in philosophy in 2017.

It is reported that Malema enrolled in a Master’s degree in philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2018; however, he has not announced the completion of this qualification.

Having developed a passion for education from a young age, Hlabisa decided to pursue a Secondary School Teachers’ Diploma, after which he sought employment as a teacher.

After finding a post at Ngebeza High School, he continued his studies, completing a Bachelor of Education in History at the University of Zululand, and later an Honours degree in History from UNISA.

Hlabisa was eventually appointed as the principal of Somfula High School, a position he held for two decades.

While he has received several honorary doctorates from institutions across the globe, Cyril Ramaphosa has only completed one degree.

This was a Bachelor of Procurationis or Bachelor of Law from UNISA in 1981, which he received while working as a clerk at a Johannesburg law firm.

While he enrolled to study law at the University of the North in 1972, he was arrested and imprisoned twice, first for organising pro-Frelimo rallies in Mozambique and the second time for participating in anti-apartheid unrest in Soweto.

No tertiary qualifications

The remaining leaders on the list, John Steenhuisen of the Democratic Alliance, Gayton McKenzie of the Patriotic Alliance, and former President Jacob Zuma of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, do not hold tertiary education qualifications.

Steenhuisen enrolled at UNISA to study Law and Political Science; however, he stated that he had to abandon his studies due to financial and work-related reasons and has been in public service since.

In November 2024, he reported that he would be registering at UNISA to complete his studies starting in 2025.

McKenzie, on the other hand, grew up in the gang-ridden area of Heidedal, Bloemfontein, and, after falling victim to his environment, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for armed robbery at 21.

However, he did complete his matric year of high school. He often jokes that he has a PhD – ‘Passed High school with Difficulty.’

McKenzie later gained prominence for his role in an exposé, where he, along with two other inmates, helped expose prison officials engaging in corrupt and illegal behaviour.

Jacob Zuma reportedly could not attend school due to financial reasons, as his father worked as a policeman and his mother was a domestic worker. After his father died, he left school to help his mother support the family.

However, he was taught to read by family members and later took night classes, paying for the tuition himself.

Leader	Party	Qualifications	Institution
Corne Mulder	Freedom Front Plus	Bachelor of Jurisprudence (B.Juris) Bachelor of Laws (LLB) PhD in Law	University of Potchefstroom University of London and the Max-Planck Institute for Public and International Law
Julius Malema	Economic Freedom Fighters	Diploma in Youth Development BA in Communications and African Languages Honours degree in Philosophy	UNISA
Velenkosini Hlabisa	Inkatha Freedom Party	Secondary School Teachers’ Diploma Bachelor of Education in History Honours degree in History	University of Zululand UNISA
Cyril Ramaphosa	African National Congress	Bachelor of Procurationis (B.Proc)	UNISA
Gayton McKenzie	Patriotic Alliance	Matric	Heatherdale Senior Secondary School
John Steenhuisen	Democratic Alliance	Matric	Northwood Boys’ High School
Jacob Zuma	uMkhonto we Sizwe Party	Limited formal schooling