Besides having to appease opposing factions within his ruling African National Congress, Ramaphosa, 66, also needs to reward the party's allies, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, for their support.
Below is a list of possible candidates for key positions:
1. David 'DD' Mabuza
As deputy leader of the ANC, Mabuza should have been a shoo-in to be reappointed as Ramaphosa's No. 2. But his chances of getting the post nosedived when the ANC's integrity committee accused him of bringing the party into disrepute after he was linked to a series of scandals during his tenure as premier of the eastern Mpumalanga province. Mabuza denied wrongdoing and asked that his swearing in as a lawmaker be delayed until he clears his name. The constitution states that the deputy president must be a member of the National Assembly, but that doesn't necessarily mean the end of the line for Mabuza: He played a pivotal role in helping Ramaphosa win control of the ANC in late 2017 and remains a key power broker in the party.