The president said he had reduced the Cabinet from 36 to 28 as part of his plans to reconfigure the state. Some departments have been merged such as Trade and Industry, which was combined with Economic Development; Higher Education and Training combined with Science and Technology; Environmental Affairs combined with Forestry and Fisheries; Agriculture combined with Land Reform and Rural Development, and Mineral Resources combined with Energy. Human Settlements has been combined with Water and Sanitation while Sports and Recreation combined with Arts and Culture.
Ramaphosa said that half of the ministers are women and there are a number of young people.
