We’re gathering nominations for Daily Maverick’s People of the Year 2025. Tell us who stood out in South Africa this year under the relevant categories below, and remember to include a short motivation for each nomination.
Please submit your nominations by 31 October 2025.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
Businessperson of the Year
He may have visited the White House in presidential capacity, but standing up to Trump following the Zelinskyy state visit debacle took some doing. Notably, the ‘white genocide’ apparition has departed.
Jane Goodall: although she died this year, she remained in much of 2025 an inspiration to a better, kinder, more gracious and peaceful planet.
Donald Trump
So, so many atrocious people to choose from this year, but no-one quite reached the sheer scale of intentional chaos targeted at almost every aspect human (and non-human) life. The decimation of global health research infrastructure, the active support for genocidal states and actions, the undermining of international cooperation in environment protection, the fast-tracking of the death of human rights and global security and justice, etc. etc. etc. More importantly, he has become a central figure in a global fascist turn built on depressingly dangerous trends that promote nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-immigration - much of which has also given our local bigots more courage to solidify their awful ideologies. I’m also mindful that it’s not him, and that there is a dark cabal around him, but he will surely go down in history as the orange-tinted face of 21st century fascism…
Seconded. Thirded and fourthed, if those are things.