Justice Mandisa Maya, current head of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), has been formally appointed as the country's deputy chief justice, beginning her tenure in the Constitutional Court on September 1.
The Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) interviewed her as the sole candidate for the post in June and recommended to Ramaphosa that she be appointed.
Maya, who has led the SCA in Bloemfontein for five years, will be the first female jurist to hold the deputy chief justice position.
"Her ascendancy to the apex court will serve as a beacon of hope for scores of young women and make them believe that SA is a country of possibilities regardless of gender, social or economic circumstances," Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday.
The president said Maya's appointment was part of the "ongoing transformation" of SA's judiciary.
According to SA's supreme law, the judiciary must broadly reflect the makeup of the population in terms of race and gender.
During recent interviews for posts in the top court, including those for chief justice in February, debate about the demographics of the judiciary in terms of race and gender punctuated hearings.
GENDER
When interviewed for the deputy chief justice role in late June, Maya insisted her candidacy did not hinge on her gender.
Instead, she emphasised her competence over some 20 years as a judge. She also argued her ascent to the senior role would send a positive message.
She was interviewed for the post of chief justice earlier in the year. At this interview she told the JSC's interviewing panel she was a deserving candidate.
"I'm not here because I'm a woman, I'm a worthy judge," she said in February.
In response to criticism that she did not have experience in the court of last instance, Maya asserted that was an advantage.
"I see it as bringing a fresh perspective. It gives me a holistic view of the entire institution and its challenges," she said then.