Sona 2025: Summary Of Key Announcements In Ramaphosa's Speech

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the 2025 State of the Nation Address SONA on Thursday 6 February in a speech that lasted more than two hours. It is therefore useful to have a summary of the key announcements he made.

Ramaphosa began by asserting that South Africa will not be bullied as a developing economy - a reference to US President Donald Trumps threats to cut off future funding for confiscating land.

We will speak with one voice in defence of our national interest, our sovereignty and our constitutional democracy, he said.

Below are the main announcements the President made in this years SONA:

In the last week, we have adopted the Medium-Term Development Plan, which sets out a clear and ambitious programme for the next five years, he said. The following are the Plans strategic priorities:

• Drive inclusive growth and job creation.
• Reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.
• Build a capable, ethical and developmental state.

The government will strengthen the role of the Public Service Commission in the appointment of the key people such as Directors-General, Deputy Directors-General, Chief Executive Officers of SOEs and board members.

It will also introduce a graduate recruitment scheme to attract the best and the brightest into the public service.

The government will:

• Work with municipalities to establish professionally managed, ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services.
• Undertake extensive consultation to develop an updated White Paper on Local Government.
• Review the funding model for municipalities.
• Expand support to municipalities that require assistance, drawing on the lessons of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group.

The government will:

• Invest in digital public infrastructure to give South Africans access to government services anytime, anywhere, through a relaunched gov.za platform.
• Implement a digital identity system.

To create this virtuous cycle of investment, growth and jobs, we must lift economic growth to above three percent, Ramaphosa said.