The speech marks the opening of the parliamentary year and is usually attended by important political and governmental figures of South Africa, including former Presidents, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court and other members of the judiciary, the Governor of the Reserve Bank, and Ambassadors and Diplomats to the Republic.
The address is also preceded by the entrance of members of parliament, officials, celebrities and guests into the chamber on a red carpet, which is typically broadcast on television as a showcase of red carpet fashion.
The 2008 SONA marked the first address after the ousting of South African President Thabo Mbeki as President of the African National Congress (ANC) by former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma, and also the absence of both former Presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk and their respective spouses.
The 2022 SONA, delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was held in Cape Town's City Hall for the first time, due to a fire damaging the Parliament Buildings.
[1] Because the Republic of South Africa has eleven official languages, the State of the Nation Address is made available, either automatically or by request, in all of the official languages and published on the website of the Government Communications and Information Service (GCiS).