Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services


The Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services is one of the departments of the South African government. It is responsible for overseeing the South African communications, telecommunications and broadcasting industries. The political head of the department is the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services. It was renamed in 2014 when President Jacob Zuma created a new Ministry of Communications with different responsibilities, including propaganda. President Ramaphosa changed the department in November 2018 to Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services.

Ministers through the years

Term startedTerm endedMinister surnameMinister nameDate of birthDate of deathUnder Prime Minister / PresidentPolitical Party
19101912GraaffDavid Pieter de Villiers30 March 185913 April 1931Botha, L.South African Party
19121912LeucharsGeorge16 April 185810 February 1924Botha, L.South African Party
19121915WattThomas18571947Botha, L.South African Party
19151919BeckJohannes Hendricus Meiring28 November 185515 May 1919Botha, L.South African Party
19191920OrrThomas1874Smuts, J. C.South African Party
19201921GraaffJacobus Arnoldus Combrinck4 March 18635 April 1927Smuts, J. C.South African Party
19211924WattThomas18571947Smuts, J. C.South African Party
19241925BoydellThomas18825 July 1966Hertzog, J. B. M.National Party
19251928MadeleyWalter Bayley28 July 187315 May 1947Hertzog, J. B. M.National Party
19281929SampsonHenry William12 May 18726 August 1938Hertzog, J. B. M.National Party
19291945ClarksonCharles Francis18811959Hertzog, J. B. M. and Smuts, J. C.National Party and United Party
19451950ErasmusFrans Christiaan1896Smuts, J. C.United Party and National Party
19501954NaudéJozua Francois15 April 188931 May 1969Malan, D. F.National Party
19541958SerfonteinJanStrijdom, J. G.National Party
19581968HertzogJohannes Albertus Munnik4 July 18995 November 1982Verwoerd, H. F. and Vorster, B. J.National Party
19681970Janse van RensburgMatthys Cornelis Grove12 February 19191970Vorster, B. J.National Party
19701976ViljoenMarais2 December 19154 January 2007Vorster, B. J.National Party
19761978van der SpuyJohannes Petrus24 November 191213 September 2003Vorster, B. J.National Party
19781978SmitHennieBotha, P. W.National Party
19781979de KlerkFrederik Willem18 March 1936Botha, P. W.National Party
19821984MunnikLourens Albertus Petrus Anderson192512 July 2016Botha, P. W.National Party
19841991BartlettGeorge14 March 193125 March 2010de Klerk, F. W.National Party
19911994WelgemoedPeter Johannes1943de Klerk, F. W.National Party
19941996JordanZweledinga Pallo22 May 1942Mandela, N. R.ANC
19961999NaidooJayaseelen20 December 1954Mandela, N. R.ANC
19992009CasaburriIvy Florence Matsepe18 September 19376 April 2009Mbeki, T. M. and Motlanthe, K. P.ANC
20092010NyandaSiphwe22 May 1950Zuma, J. G.ANC
20102011PadayachieRadhakrishna Lutchmana1 May 19505 May 2002Zuma, J. G.ANC
20112013PuleDinah DeliweZuma, J. G.ANC
20132014CarrimYunusZuma, J. G.ANC
20142017MuthambiAzwihangwisi FaithZuma, J. G.ANC
20172017DlodloAyanda22 May 1963Zuma, J. G.ANC
20172018Kubayi-NgubaneMmamoloko TryphosaZuma, J. G.ANC
20182018CweleSiyabonga Cyprian 3 September 1958Ramaphosa, M. C.ANC
20182018MokonyaneNomvula 20 June 1963Ramaphosa, M. C.ANC
2018Ndabeni-AbrahamsStella Tembisa1979Ramaphosa, M. C.ANC

Portfolio organisations

Portfolio organisations are those public enterprises that report to the South African Government via the Ministry of Communications. These are: