Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (/ˈmʌmpiːlə ˈrʌmpiːli/;[1][2] born 28 December 1947) is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and businesswoman.

The wife of the local church minister, Dominee Lukas van der Merwe, gave her mother medical advice and bought medicines for the sick child that saved her life.

In 1968, she was accepted into the University of Natal Medical School, then the only institution that allowed black students to enrol without prior permission from the government.

Ramphele won the 1968 South African Jewish Women’s Association Scholarship and the Sir Ernest Oppenheimer Bursary worth about R150 annually for the rest of her years at Medical School.

While at university, Ramphele became increasingly involved in student politics and anti-apartheid activism, becoming one of the founders of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), where she met Steve Biko, with whom she had a relationship.

From 1970 onwards Ramphele became increasingly drawn into political activism with Biko, Barney Pityana and other student activists at the Medical School.

In addition to her medical duties, Ramphele also became the director of the Black Community Programmes (BCP) in the Eastern Cape when Biko was banned.

During her stay in Tzaneen, Ramphele enjoyed occasional illicit outings to escape everyday life, as well as visits from Helen Suzman, MP of the Progressive Party.

This required that Ramphele apply for a special dispensation to travel to Johannesburg where she had to report at the John Vorster Square Police Station upon her arrival and departure.

Part of her executive role was to take charge of the university’s Equal Opportunity Policy Portfolio, with the aim of changing the culture of the institution.

Ramphele also served as a trustee for the Link-SA trust, a charitable organisation that raises money to subsidise the tertiary education of South Africa's brightest underprivileged students.

She is co-founder of ReimagineSA [10] and in 2018 was voted co-president of The Club of Rome[11] In 2013, Ramphele expressed interest in South African politics and resigned as the chairperson of Gold Fields.

[16][17] On 31 January 2014, Ramphele issued a statement saying that she would not take up Democratic Alliance party membership and would remain the leader of Agang South Africa, resulting in confusion.

[18] On 2 February 2014, Helen Zille stated that Ramphele had reneged on her agreement to stand as the Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate.

[19] Ramphele subsequently apologised for the reversal of her decision, saying that the timing was not right as the reaction to it had shown people were unable to overcome race-based party politics.