List of South African presidents by age

This is a list of presidents of South Africa by age, including state presidents (1961 to 1994) and presidents (since 1994).

This table lists presidents by age at assuming office from youngest to oldest

Name	Date of birth	Date of death	Date and age at inauguration
F. W. de Klerk	18 March 1936	11 November 2021	15 August 1989(1989-08-15) (aged 53)
Thabo Mbeki	18 June 1942	alive	16 June 1999(1999-06-16) (aged 56)
Kgalema Motlanthe	19 July 1949	alive	25 September 2008(2008-09-25) (aged 59)
B. J. Vorster	13 December 1915	10 September 1983	10 October 1978(1978-10-10) (aged 62)
Marais Viljoen	2 December 1915	4 January 2007	4 June 1979(1979-06-04) (aged 63)
Cyril Ramaphosa	17 November 1952	alive	14 February 2018(2018-02-14) (aged 65)
Charles Robberts Swart	5 December 1894	16 July 1982	31 May 1961(1961-05-31) (aged 66)
Jacob Zuma	12 April 1942	alive	9 May 2009(2009-05-09) (aged 67)
P. W. Botha	12 January 1916	31 October 2006	3 September 1984(1984-09-03) (aged 68)
Jacobus Johannes Fouché	6 June 1898	23 September 1980	10 April 1968(1968-04-10) (aged 69)
Nico Diederichs	17 November 1903	21 August 1978	19 April 1975(1975-04-19) (aged 71)
Nelson Mandela	18 July 1918[1]	5 December 2013[2]	10 May 1994(1994-05-10) (aged 75)[3]

List of presidents by longevity

Rank	Heads of state	Date of Birth	Date of Death	Longevity (Years, Days)	Longevity (Days)
1	Nelson Mandela	18 July 1918	5 December 2013	95 years, 140 days	34,839 days
2	Marais Viljoen	2 December 1915	4 January 2007	91 years, 33 days	33,271 days
3	P. W. Botha	12 January 1916	31 October 2006	90 years, 292 days	33,165 days
4	Charles Robberts Swart	5 December 1894	16 July 1982	87 years, 223 days	31,999 days
5	Frederik de Klerk	18 March 1936	11 November 2021	85 years, 238 days	31,284 days
6	Jacob Zuma	12 April 1942	Living	83 years, 122 days	30,438 days
7	Thabo Mbeki	18 June 1942	Living	83 years, 55 days	30,371 days
8	Jacobus Johannes Fouché	6 June 1898	23 September 1980	82 years, 109 days	30,059 days
9	Kgalema Motlanthe	19 July 1949	Living	76 years, 24 days	27,783 days
10	Nico Diederichs	17 November 1903	21 August 1978	74 years, 277 days	27,306 days
11	Cyril Ramaphosa	17 November 1952	Living	72 years, 268 days	26,566 days
12	B. J. Vorster	13 December 1915	10 September 1983	67 years, 271 days	24,743 days

List of heads of state of South Africa	12
Living	4
Deceased	8

South African heads of state's ages

#	Head of state	Date of birth	Date of inauguration	Age at inauguration	End of term	Age at End of term	Length of retirement	Date of death	Lifespan
1	Charles Robberts Swart	5 December 1894	31 May 1961 (1961-05-31)	66 years, 177 days	1 June 1967 (1967-06-01)	72 years, 178 days	15 years, 45 days	16 July 1982	31,999 days (87 years, 223 days)
2	Jacobus Johannes Fouché	6 June 1898	10 April 1968 (1968-04-10)	69 years, 309 days	9 April 1975 (1975-04-09)	76 years, 307 days	5 years, 167 days	23 September 1980	30,059 days (82 years, 109 days)
3	Nico Diederichs	17 November 1903	19 April 1975 (1975-04-19)	71 years, 153 days	21 August 1978 (1978-08-21)	74 years, 277 days	N/A	21 August 1978	27,306 days (74 years, 277 days)
4	B. J. Vorster	13 December 1915	10 October 1978 (1978-10-10)	62 years, 301 days	4 June 1979 (1979-06-04)	63 years, 173 days	4 years, 98 days	10 September 1983	24,743 days (67 years, 271 days)
5	Marais Viljoen	2 December 1915	4 June 1979 (1979-06-04)	63 years, 184 days	3 September 1984 (1984-09-03)	68 years, 276 days	22 years, 123 days	4 January 2007	33,271 days (91 years, 33 days)
6	P. W. Botha	12 January 1916	3 September 1984 (1984-09-03)	68 years, 235 days	15 August 1989 (1989-08-15)	73 years, 215 days	17 years, 77 days	31 October 2006	33,165 days (90 years, 292 days)
7	Frederik de Klerk	18 March 1936	15 August 1989 (1989-08-15)	53 years, 150 days	10 May 1994 (1994-05-10)	58 years, 53 days	27 years, 185 days	11 November 2021	31,284 days (85 years, 238 days)
8	Nelson Mandela	18 July 1918	10 May 1994 (1994-05-10)	75 years, 305 days	16 June 1999 (1999-06-16)	80 years, 333 days	14 years, 172 days	5 December 2013	34,839 days (95 years, 140 days)
9	Thabo Mbeki	18 June 1942	16 June 1999 (1999-06-16)	56 years, 363 days	24 September 2008 (2008-09-24)	66 years, 98 days	16 years, 322 days	(living)	30,371 days (83 years, 55 days)
10	Kgalema Motlanthe	19 July 1949	25 September 2008 (2008-09-25)	59 years, 68 days	9 May 2009 (2009-05-09)	59 years, 294 days	16 years, 95 days	(living)	27,783 days (76 years, 24 days)
11	Jacob Zuma	12 April 1942	9 May 2009 (2009-05-09)	67 years, 27 days	14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)	75 years, 308 days	7 years, 179 days	(living)	30,438 days (83 years, 122 days)
12	Cyril Ramaphosa	17 November 1952	14 February 2018 (2018-02-14)	65 years, 89 days	(incumbent)	(incumbent)	(incumbent)	(living)	26,566 days (72 years, 268 days)
#	Head of state	Date of birth	Date of inauguration	Age at inauguration	End of term	Age at End of term	Length of retirement	Date of death	Lifespan