--- title: "Not lumpy, not lapis — was it cerulean blue?" description: "At the 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa wore a different shade of tie than usual: blue." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "IN PICTURES" author: "Emilie Gambade" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/emiliegambade/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-12-not-lumpy-not-lapis-was-it-cerulean-blue/" published: "2026-02-12T23:43:36" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 936 --- # Not lumpy, not lapis — was it cerulean blue? > At the 2026 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa wore a different shade of tie than usual: blue. By Emilie Gambade · Published 13 February 2026, 01:43 SAST ## Key points - President Cyril Ramaphosa surprises with a vibrant blue tie at the 2026 State of the Nation Address, stepping away from his usual red. - The colour choice sparks speculation — is it a hopeful cerulean, or a nod to political optimism in a challenging year? - Fashion on the red carpet showcases a blend of traditional and avant-garde styles, marking a creative departure. - Eyewear trends steal the show, with attendees flaunting everything from luxe Gucci frames to bold sci-fi sunglasses. ## Content Forget [the red](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-02-09-not-quite-a-sona-snoozefest-despite-ramaphosas-signature-red-tie-and-the-usual-stream-of-promises/) of the past years. At the 2026 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Cyril Ramaphosa traded his favourite ruby hue for a blue that felt disarmingly lighter, gentler. Could it have been [cerulean](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rDTRuCOs9g)? This was definitely not just “blue”; it wasn’t the sombre mood of a cobalt either, nor was it a sapphire or a bluebonnet. It didn’t have the restraint of navy or the muted depth of duck blue. It certainly wasn’t the avant-garde intensity of the famous IKB (International Klein Blue) immortalised by the artist Yves Klein. Nor was it a shade signalling the heavy “blues” of heartache or political fatigue. Instead, it was a vibrant turquoise, perhaps even aqua, shimmering with an uncharacteristic sense of optimism. This was the blue of calm, creativity and intellectual freedom. A [2009 study](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1169144) reveals that “blue enhances performance on creative tasks”. Was the President looking for a creative spark to inspire South Africans after a lacklustre year? Or was it a subtle wink across the Atlantic toward the perpetually cranky, red-tie-wearing Donald Trump? Historically, wearing blue is tinted with prestige. Because blue was once a really expensive pigment, ground from *[Isatis tinctoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isatis_tinctoria)* — [woad](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-secret-history-of-the-color-blue/9gUxIXzv_RULIA?hl=en) — to wear it showed you had wealth, hence “royal blue”. And so, it is also a declaration of power. The fashion on the pre-Sona red carpet felt more conceptual, with silhouettes that floated somewhere between black-tie and sculptural attire. We saw the usual suspects: ruffled hems, bright patterns, trumpet skirts, high waists, long-floor dresses and red fringe, but also high-cut leg slits revealing a well-placed tattoo, the architectural weight of a bat sleeve, structured corsetry and pearls, beads and seashells — placed elegantly on hats, dotted on a skirt, dispersed on a lapel, embroidered on a top, or barely there on a bag. Then, the optics. In what felt like a nod to French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent blue-lensed Aviator performance at Davos, the eyewear seemed to rule the red carpet. Gayton McKenzie leaned into brand-heavy status-signalling with Gucci wide frames, while Kenny Kunene went full sci-fi with inverted gold sunglasses. **DM** ![Sona-2026-pics](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/sh85oHIXkdDmlv88tnrj4XniXs4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at192941_769971.jpeg) *President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tie was ‘a vibrant turquoise, perhaps even aqua, shimmering with an uncharacteristic sense of optimism’. (Photo: Phando Jikelo/Parliament RSA)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/F0lgseldQmhPeJTk4ABw0cEmwRw=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4233_200450.jpg) *Usual suspects on the red carpet included ruffles and pearls. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/sjlusPMGQ2gbcYf7zB-s4-bbU5c=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_45571_610205.jpg) *Red carpet antics ahead of Sona 2026 at the Cape Town City Hall on 12 February. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/McYEljCEIcfBUFIRd6f12Sy01rQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4545_308913.jpg) *A fresh take on traditional African couture. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/j13kVSmNScVEkrbY62I3Kf_haCI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4472_426841.jpg) *Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille and her spokesperson Aldrin Sampear ahead of Sona 2026. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/lunoGesMwlAv5GKh48aBRU6GT9g=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at175125_102224.jpeg) *Former anti-apartheid activist Sophia Williams-De Bruyn on the red carpet. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Gj9c1cwv1RryJuGaafgazs5hj8E=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/DSC3007_630916.jpg) *The PA’s Kenny Kunene goes full sci-fi. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/2RhXK1WDzRpB6KreQZ87EbXnI4U=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/DSC2986_113914.jpg) *A stiff upper lip from Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/9EVmR5_xhrK18Nh6-K5rzzFahJg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4246_877748.jpg) *Dedicated followers of fashion (and of politicians) at the opening of the red carpet. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/_iriSjGnDKfK0hh1XvF0qcdPZLs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4238_259070.jpg) *Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa is interviewed by the puppet Chester Missing. (Photo: David Harrison)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/PI0QT8V-ICSu8sR4umXxfyHa2E4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/3472e9d4-7d12-416e-a640-1422c10c911d_217840.jpeg) *ANC politicians Dr Nobuhle Nkabane and Thandi Moraka stride the red carpet. (Photo: Phando Jikelo / Parliament RSA)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/gHlYGNB_1K91zslQZMBSc29DtnE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/755b9949-727a-49af-b225-343f914db4d7_420483.jpeg) *Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba was another who made a statement with blue. (Photo: Phando Jikelo / Parliament RSA)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/S-wQw8LdUzqMorvrJWdd5iU7IPs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/3e976d64-b9bb-4447-bfcd-a46b3e2173d3_789712.jpeg) *ANC politician Mzwandile Masina and his wife, Sinazo Masina in elegant attire. (Photo: Phando Jikelo/Parliament RSA)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/k1a2Nc8TZAKQVNW0Q8YrXZE-Lew=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at204638_161711.jpeg) *More shades of blue... Deputy Chief Justice Dunstan Mlambo, NCOP chairperson Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane and National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/AuG7hMRuqPifMOwycDm52uvxuac=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at204636_707323.jpeg) *Former president Kgalema Motlanthe and his wife Gugu Mtshali are piped in to Sona 2026. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/rsBO9nMRSCk0AypB5at6Msu_xoQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at204635_184253.jpeg) *Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and his wife, Carla Hill-Lewis, head for Sona 2026. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/KtFRBlhRUgbKRssgnSbg9UQDEdE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193917_211609.jpeg) *Clutch bags and pointy-toed shoes... red carpet fashion at Sona 2026. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile )* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/8LHmdheN46JHIFmeTCeDfWjOSXI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193909_763770.jpeg) *Mum’s the word... Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni and her daughter on the red carpet. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/F24HcNjsrmRPhbmWHnaUclqaLos=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193911_652755.jpeg) *Enoch Godongwana at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/xyGliC48o0u3JpodVurPE0-gMqk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193846_845462.jpeg) *Eminence grise... Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe ahead of Sona 2026. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/BP-AFyydHakIR9d1fo_9VofFqKg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at1938451_803687.jpeg) *Out for a twirl ... red carpet fashion at Sona 2026. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile )* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/VX1aCZkEiUxxRyzRhykNcqL_o0w=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193842_182394.jpeg) *Deputy Human Settlements Minister Tandi Mahambehlala rocked up in a striking outfit. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/bLcjtrTMJTG0bBJ3hGPtSjtWPDc=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at191738_563532.jpeg) *Class act... Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on the red carpet. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/3vZEaedQwVH9EI2rR5skQIvOSbs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at193841_484392.jpeg) *A fashionable foursome on the red carpet. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile )* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/xQsithKYor1RTUnrtSRgLVu1aK0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at191735_300755.jpeg) *Minister Siviwe Gwarube, Maropene Ramokgopa, Zweli Mkhize and David Masondo on the red carpet. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/SdzHLVrBg7i68MLM4NHw8UtofM0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-02-12at191729_430410.jpeg) *Red carpet fashion at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo: Zwelethemba Kostile )* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/WTWqdaoNUTKw4S0bE-rTO6fw3Gk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595648_126380.jpg) *Red carpet fashion at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qPtl3XI5lgxoVk9bP8p09ewS1js=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595645_348967.jpg) *Red carpet fashion at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/KD_HppxvEjnDHU-EcdutVZ3iLJE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595640_363124.jpg) *Red carpet fashion at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/5UfegO-sTrlmQ2_UOB2DtJXuSgM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595638_167843.jpg) *Nonceba Mhlauli at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/5pWdSI__a01sMjih--f80atAR98=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ED_595639_302530.jpg) *Red carpet fashion at the State Of The Nation Address (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 12, 2026 in Cape Town. (Photo: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)* ![Photo Essay- Red carpetSONA](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/OojQ4aODp58HvzIP8FCTImk1vPI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Z63_4653_301760.jpg) *Reverend Keneth Moshoe ahead of SONA 2026, Cape Town City Hall, 12 February 2026. (Photo: David Harrison)*