South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that his new multi-party administration would fight to improve basic living circumstances for all residents when he was sworn in for a second term.
Ramaphosa's African National Congress will share power with five other parties after losing its legislative majority for the first time in three decades of democracy on May 29.
The voters "have been unequivocal in expressing their disappointment and disapproval of our performance in some of the areas in which we have failed them," Ramaphosa said at his inauguration ceremony in Pretoria's capital.
He said they wanted everyone to have adequate food, nice housing, clean water, inexpensive and reliable electrical supplies, and well-maintained infrastructure.
"Today, I stand before you as your humble servant to say we have heard you," he said. "In this moment we must choose to move forward, to close the distances between South Africans and to build a more equal society."
The ANC remains the largest party following the election, followed by the pro-business Democratic Alliance, a critic of the ANC's performance in office that has agreed to join the new administration.
While investors have welcomed the addition of the DA, which seeks to stimulate growth through structural changes and sensible fiscal policies, experts warn that deep ideological differences among the parties might make the administration unstable.
Ramaphosa signed a National Health Insurance bill into law shortly before the election, which the DA claims may bring down a creaking healthcare system. It was unclear what would happen with the statute under the incoming administration.
