# State President of South Africa
The State President ([Afrikaans](https://www.edgepedia.org/afrikaans): Staatspresident) was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994, created when the country became a republic and the office of Governor-General was abolished. The post was largely ceremonial until constitutional reforms in 1984 made it an executive office and abolished the Prime Minister; it was replaced in 1994 by the President under the interim constitution.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) • [2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Established | 31 May 1961, when South Africa was declared a republic following a racially based referendum that excluded black people, and withdrew from the Commonwealth[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) |
| Native name | Staatspresident (Afrikaans)[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) |
| Character of office | Ceremonial head of state from 1961 to 1984; executive head of state from 1984, when the office of Prime Minister was abolished[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) |
| First holder | Charles Robberts Swart, 31 May 1961 to 1 June 1967[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) |
| Executive-era holders | P. W. Botha (1984–1989) and F. W. de Klerk (1989–1994)[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) |
| Abolished | 1994, when the interim constitution provided for the position of President[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) |
## Creation of the office
The [Union of South Africa](https://www.edgepedia.org/union-of-south-africa), promulgated on 31 May 1910 after negotiations that excluded black South Africans, was a self-governing Dominion in the [British Empire](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-empire). Its head of state was the British monarch, represented locally by an appointed Governor-General, to whom the Prime Minister, the elected head of government, accounted.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910 with the formation of the Union and was the highest elected political office in it.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
After a referendum limited to white voters, South Africa became a republic on 31 May 1961, and, because of international pressure, left the [Commonwealth of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/commonwealth-of-nations). The office of Governor-General was abolished and the position of State President was created as the figurative head of state.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) From 1961 to 1994 the head of state was called the State President, or Staatspresident in Afrikaans; the Constitutions of 1961 and 1983 refer to the office exclusively by these two names.[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) • [3](https://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_pres1/)
## Ceremonial period, 1961–1984
For its first two decades the State President acted as a figurative head of state while executive power rested with the Prime Minister.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) The holders in this period were:
- Charles Robberts Swart, 31 May 1961 to 1 June 1967[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- T. E. Donges, elected in 1967 but never inaugurated due to ill-health[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party)
- Jozua Francois Naude (acting), 1 June 1967 to 10 April 1968[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- Jacobus Johannes ('Jim') Fouché, 10 April 1968 to 9 April 1975[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs, 19 April 1975 to 21 August 1978[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- Marais Viljoen (acting), 21 August 1978 to 10 October 1978[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- Balthazar Johannes (BJ) Vorster, 10 October 1978 to 4 June 1979[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
- Marais Viljoen, 4 June 1979 to 3 September 1984[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
Vorster had been Prime Minister from 1966 to 1978 before moving to the State Presidency, and [P. W. Botha](https://www.edgepedia.org/p-w-botha) took the premiership in 1978.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) A Vice State President, Alwyn Schlebusch, served from 1 January 1981 to 14 September 1984.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
## Executive presidency, 1984–1994
Under the [Tricameral Parliament](https://www.edgepedia.org/tricameral-parliament), established in 1983, the political significance of the State President increased and the position of Prime Minister became more and more superfluous; the premiership was abolished in 1984 and replaced with the executive title of State President.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) • [2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) Following the constitutional reforms of 1984, the office of State President became an executive post, as in the United States, and P. W. Botha became the new State President.[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party)
Botha served from 3 September 1984 until his resignation in 1989, when he was replaced by [F. W. de Klerk](https://www.edgepedia.org/f-w-de-klerk).[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) • [2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) De Klerk, the last apartheid-era president, oversaw the transition to majority rule; in 1990 he announced that the [African National Congress](https://www.edgepedia.org/african-national-congress) and other anti-apartheid parties would be unbanned, a step that began the process ending apartheid.[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/18393fe2f2eeb6f0217c3ca347c40453)
## Replacement in 1994
Before South Africa's first elections open to all races, held in April 1994, the country put in place an interim constitution that created the office of President; this was replaced in 1996 by the final constitution, which kept the office in place.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history) When South Africa's first non-racial Constitution came into effect in 1994, the combined head of state and head of government received the simple title of President, and [Nelson Mandela](https://www.edgepedia.org/nelson-mandela) was elected that year as the nation's first president chosen by democratic vote.[2](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/50c0f18f88bbf776701cf884037d9af7) De Klerk's term as State President ended on 10 May 1994, the day Mandela's term began.[1](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
## References
1. [History, The Presidency, Republic of South Africa](https://www.presidency.gov.za/history)
2. [South African Prime Ministers from the National Party, South African History Online](https://sahistory.org.za/article/south-african-prime-ministers-national-party)
3. [South Africa: Heads of State: 1961–1994, Archontology](https://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_pres1/)
4. [South Africa remembers an historic election every April 27, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/18393fe2f2eeb6f0217c3ca347c40453)
5. [South Africa's ruling ANC party fetes 111th anniversary, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/50c0f18f88bbf776701cf884037d9af7)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Heads of state, vice presidents, and governor-generals › Presidential offices by country*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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