President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday, 9 February 2023 at 7pm. The address will take place before a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament.

The address is an important milestone as it brings certainty to the country’s political, social and economic landscape. It demonstrates that South Africa’s democracy remains robust.

In the address, President Cyril Ramaphosa will set out government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead, flag challenges and outline interventions to unlock our nation’s potential.

During his address, the President will also highlight what has been achieved since his last address in 2022. He will also reflect on the progress made in implementing the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP).

FAST FACTS

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his seventh State of the Nation Address on Thursday at 19:00.
The speech is the result of collaboration among a large number of officials in the government – including policy advisors, researchers, and speech writers – and outside advisors and thinkers. Traditionally, the Forum of Director-Generals, the ANC’s January 8th Statement, NEC Lekgotla, and the Cabinet Lekgotla play a central role in shaping the speech.
The target audience consists of different constituencies, such as MPs, citizens, trade unions, business leaders, foreign investors, foreign governments, and credit rating agencies.

For the second consecutive year, the address will take place at the Cape Town City Hall due to ongoing repairs of the National Assembly Chamber.

It also marks the opening of the parliamentary year.

The State of the Nation Address is divided into three parts. The first is the important public participation role in the ceremony when the Civil Guard of Honour welcomes the President and his guests as they walk along the red carpet. This is followed by a state ceremonial, which includes a 21-gun salute and the South African Air Force flypast and finally the official address by the President.

Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) line the route that the President takes to Parliament.
The Military Guard of Honour participates in the ceremony and the military band plays South Africa’s national anthem.
In a general election year, two State of the Nation Addresses are delivered.

The State of the Nation Address is one of the rare occasions where the three arms of State, namely the Executive represented by the President, Deputy President and Ministers; the Judiciary, represented by the country’s Chief Justice and the Judge Presidents; and the Legislature, represented by the Members of Parliament gather in one place.
The provincial and local spheres of government are also represented.