President Paul Kagame has paid his tribute to South Africa’s former finance minister and Reserve Bank governor, Tito Mboweni, who passed away on Saturday, October 12, at the age of 65.

Kagame said Mboweni was "a giant voice for Africa and a champion of continental integration.”

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Mboweni was a respected figure in South Africa and was widely recognized for his role in African Union (AU) reforms and in shaping the continent’s financial landscape.

"I send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Tito Mboweni, and to President Ramaphosa and the government and people of South Africa. Tito Mboweni was a giant voice for Africa and a champion of continental integration,” Kagame wrote in a Sunday post on X.

Mboweni was a member of the advisory committee appointed by President Paul Kagame, when the Rwandan leader spearheaded the AU’s institutional reforms process.

"His counsel was invaluable in the effort of reforming the African Union, and in recent years, he dedicated his energy to implementing the reform as chair of the AU Peace Fund. His legacy will live on for generations to come,” Kagame said.

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Mboweni’s career spanned decades of public service. He became the first black governor of South Africa’s Reserve Bank in 1999, a position he held for ten years.

He had previously served in Nelson Mandela’s cabinet as labour minister from 1994 to 1999. In 2018, Mboweni returned to public office when President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as finance minister, a role he held until his retirement in August 2021.

Mboweni died on Saturday night after a short illness, his family said in a statement. He was in a hospital in Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa said Mboweni's death was a shock to South Africa.

"We have lost a leader and compatriot who has served our nation as an activist, economic policy innovator and champion of labour rights," Ramaphosa said.

"As Governor and Finance Minister, he had a sharp focus on fiscal discipline and economic transformation."

For the AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed "shock and deepest sorrow" at the passing of Mboweni.

"Continentally, his rigorous thought leadership and strategic vision to the #AUReforms and the #AUPeaceFund of which he was Chair, cannot be overstated," Mahamat said in a post on X. "Hambe Kahle, my Brother. With our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones, the Government & people of South Africa."