Biography

Maropene Ramokgopa (born 1979 or 1980) is a South African politician. She is a Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation since March 2023.

Formerly, she served as the special adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa on international relations. She is also a member of the ANC Women’s League.

Since December 2022, she has been the Second Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress. Maropene is a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa.

In 2022, she became the coordinator of the interim task team to lead the ANC Women’s League.

Maropene Ramokgopa
Maropene Ramokgopa biography
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa.
Quick Facts
Full Name:Maropene Ramokgopa
Born:1980 (age 43 years old)
Place of Birth:Limpopo
Nationality:South African
Occupation:Politician
Years active:2000s-date
Office:Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Political Party:African National Congress

Early Life

Maropene Ramokgopa was born in 1980 in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa. She has three siblings and is the second-born of four daughters. Her biological mother, Margaret, is in her late 70s and lives in Limpopo, South Africa.

Career

 Maropene has been on the South African political scene since the early 2000s. She has been a member of the African political party for a long time. She has been in the ANC’s Women League for a long time and served as the secretary general.

At twenty-six years, she has already started to serve in executive positions. Thabo Mbeki appointed her as executive mayor of the Northern Cape. While serving in this capacity, she was the youngest mayor.

Former President Jacob Zuma appointed her to represent South Africa as the head of mission at the consulate general in Mumbai, India, in 2016. She served in this position for four years.

Since 2008, she served on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL).

After NEC’s disbandment in 2013, President Jacob Zuma took her alone to be in the national task team of the new ANCYL. She was member of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in 2008. 

Ramokgopa co-founded the young women’s desk and wrote the concept document. She is a current member of the PEC of the African National Congress in Limpopo.

In 2008, she served as manager and National Working Committee (NWC) coordinator of the ANCWL nationally. She served as the manager in the ANCWL’s national working committee during the time Angie Motshekga was the president.

Maropene Ramokgopa served as the Chief Advisor to the President of South Africa at the African Union (AU). According to her, she fought for the position, and did not receive it on a silver platter. On March 6, 2023, she was appointed as Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Ms Ramokgopa is the Second Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC. She is also Member of the National Assembly of South Africa.