Cyril Ramaphosa Gets Up Close With South Africa’s Blue Crane at Sun City: “What a Lovely Bird”

• The Republic of South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa was in awe of the Blue Crane he saw during an event at Sun City
• The country's Head of Digital Communications, Athi Geleba, posted a video of the President's interaction with the bird while he was with Progressive Business Forum members
• Amused social media users addressed Ramaphosa's comment to the women next to him, while others wondered why a man beside the politician waved to the bird

While at an event at Sun City, President Cyril Ramaphosa came across a mighty Blue Crane, which didn't mind being the star of the show. Its presence clearly enchanted the African National Congress leader, who also didn't skip a beat to compliment the women beside him.

Athi Geleba, the Head of Digital Communications for the South African Presidency, uploaded the video of the interaction to her TikTok account on 13 September, 2025, stating:

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"The Blue Crane (also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane) is the national bird of South Africa. The bird's feathers are a symbol of bravery and are traditionally presented by chiefs to honoured warriors."

In the clip, while the President takes out his phone to snap a picture of the bird, he tells women next to him:

"Apart from you ladies, this is the most beautiful thing I'm seeing this morning. What a lovely bird."

Ramaphosa was with members of the Progressive Business Forum (PBF) at the luxury North West resort. According to the publication Inside Politics, he was set to open the PBF and Progressive Citizens' Forum Women in Business Golf Event, which aimed at focusing on women's roles in shaping the economy.

Each hole on the course hosted discussions on issues such as access to finance, digital transformation, climate resilience, and inclusive leadership, the publication reports.

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Cyril Ramaphosa amuses South Africans

Hundreds of local internet users took to the comment section with their thoughts about the interaction. While some were in awe of the national bird's beauty, others couldn't help but laugh at the President's commentary, calling him Ramarizzy, and the man next to him waving at the bird.

@loyiee_cupcakes humorously asked in the comments:

"Does this Blue Crane know that it is really famous?"

A mesmerised @rafel275 noted:

"The Blue Crane is so beautiful, you might think it's AI."

@shecallsmekev spoke about what Ramaphosa said to the women, writing:

"The rizz. Cupceezy is too nice with it."

@slime_t14 wrote under the post:

"I can't be the only one who jumped when the bird was spreading its wings."

Having interacted with the Blue Crane before, a surprised @skhwama_supremacy exclaimed:

"It almost attacked me at Sun City, but it leaves Ramaphosa!"

After watching the video, @phindile_mabusela told the online community:

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"Now I understand why this is our national bird, just stunning."

@anelemkhwanazi shared with laughter:

"Not the man waving to the bird."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about Cyril Ramaphosa

• In another article, Briefly News reported that the President's X account was allegedly compromised after it shared an inappropriate video. Although the issue was explained, South Africans weren't convinced.
• In August, 2025, Ramaphosa confirmed that he received a phone call from Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who provided him with an update on peace talks. South Africans reacted hilariously, speculating about their discussion.
• An old video of a young Ramaphosa went viral on the internet, with many saying that the politician's youthful appearance bore a resemblance to DJ Maphorisa.

Source: Briefly News