Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term as South Africa’s president on Wednesday in a ceremony in the administrative capital Pretoria.
Mr Ramaphosa is now set to appoint a Cabinet in a new coalition government after his African National Congress party lost its parliamentary majority in an election last month.
He was re-elected president by MPs on Friday with help from the main opposition party and a smaller third party that have joined the ANC in a coalition agreement to co-govern Africa’s most industrialised economy.
Mr Ramaphosa was sworn in at the Union Buildings, the seat of government, by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Current and former African heads of state and diplomats were among many guests and dignitaries who attended the inauguration as Mr Ramaphosa begins what promises to be a tough final term in office.
He will have to guide the first coalition government in which no party has a majority in South Africa’s democratic history after the ANC lost its 30-year political dominance.
At least three parties will make up what the ANC is calling a government of national unity, with more invited to join.
Dignitaries attending the inauguration included King Mswati III of Eswatini, Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, Zimbabwe President Emerson Mnangagwa and former Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
