Gendered framing of women politicians in South Africa

Introduction A growing body of literature recognises the role of cultural discourse in shaping political legitimacy. Studies suggest that in many African societies, leadership remains deeply rooted in patriarchal traditions, influencing how women presidential aspirants are perceived. This study reviews news coverage of women in South African presidential elections and examines how media narratives frame female candidates as deviating from cultural norms of leadership. Specifically, the study answers two key questions: How does the press utilise cultural discourse to portray women in presidential elections? And what role does media framing play in reinforcing patriarchal norms that delegitimise women’s political authority? Methods This investigation employs a content analysis of Independent Online, using framing theory and feminist theory to analyse dominant narratives in election coverage. Results The analysis shows that media coverage invokes cultural essentialism to portray Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as “unfit to lead”, reinforcing the idea that executive leadership is a male domain and delegitimising female political authority. These narratives depict women as outsiders to traditional power structures. They portray them as unfit to lead, using cultural and historical justifications. Discussion The findings suggest that media framing functions as a tool of patriarchal gatekeeping, systematically restricting women’s political ambitions by positioning them as culturally incompatible with leadership. Addressing this bias requires critical engagement with media narratives and advocacy for inclusive representations of women in African political leadership