In a speech lasting nearly two hours, the president kept his focus mainly on the economy and the fight against corruption.

One opposition leader reacted by telling me that "he is a wordsmith," when I asked whether he agreed with the speech made in a joint sitting of parliament.

The president's office has been sharing some of the highlights from the speech:

President Cyril Ramaphosa?@CyrilRamaphosa

 “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat...” #SONA2019

7:50 PM - Feb 7, 2019

There was also a sigh of relief that the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) did not disrupt parliamentary proceedings, which had become their signature performance during Jacob Zuma's time in office.

This is a huge boost for the president ahead of the 8 May election – especially following the governing party’s never-ending litany of corruption allegations.

Ordinary South Africans want to see politicians who have been accused of taking bribes in various corruption inquiries prosecuted and those found guilty put behind bars.