Minister of Social Development (South Africa)
Cabinet position
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The minister of social development is a minister in the Cabinet of South Africa who is the political head of the Department of Social Development and its agencies, including the South African Social Security Agency. As of 1 July 2026, the incumbent minister is DIna Pule, following the dismissal of Sisisi Tolashe in May 2026.[1][2] The deputy minister is Ganief Hendricks.[3]
| South Africa Minister of Social Development | |
|---|---|
| |
| Department of Social Development | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Member of | Cabinet |
| Appointer | |
| Inaugural holder | Zola Skweyiya |
| Formation | 17 June 1999 |
| Deputy | Ganief Hendricks |
| Website | Department of Social Development |
The ministry was created in June 1999 when Thabo Mbeki took office as President of South Africa in the 1999 general election. Its precursor in the cabinet of Nelson Mandela was the Ministry for Welfare and Population Development, where Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi was incumbent from June 1996 to June 1999.[4]
List of ministers
| Minister | Term | President | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hon. Zola Skweyiya MP | 17 June 1999 | 10 May 2009 | [5] | |
| The Hon. Edna Molewa MP | 11 May 2009 | 31 October 2010 | Zuma (I) | [6] |
| The Hon. Bathabile Dlamini MP | 1 November 2010 | 26 February 2018 | [7] | |
| Zuma (II) | [8] | |||
| The Hon. Susan Shabangu MP | 27 February 2018 | 29 May 2019 | Ramaphosa (I) | [9] |
| The Hon. Lindiwe Zulu MP | 30 May 2019 | 17 June 2024 | Ramaphosa (II) | [3] |
| The Hon. Sisisi Tolashe MP | 30 June 2024 | 14 May 2026 | Ramaphosa (III) | [10] |
| The Hon. Dina Pule MP | 1 July 2026 | present | [1] | |