Mr Manuel said: Mr Oppenheimer was a second generation South African who was one of leading businessmen and a key influence in our society in both the economic and political spheres. He pioneered the economic expansion from the mining to manufacturing industries that became so crucial for South Africa's growth.
He was a philanthropist whose personal wealth frequently supported causes that helped his many less fortunate compatriots.
Although his company, Anglo-American, ranked in the top 25th on the FTSE 100 last year, and although he had long had business interests around the world, Mr Oppenheimer was a both a committed and quintessential South African. His businesses spanned the world, yet he chose to live out his own life here, on African soil.