Ironically these are the same traits that have alienated him from the aspirational middle class.
South Africa has a broad constitution where civil, religious and cultural rights sit tenuously side-by-side.
Although polygamy is legal, a 2010 survey found that 75% of South Africans disapprove of the practice.
And most of those who frown upon it are women. Yet despite these views, polygamy is upheld by African traditionalists as a form of cultural preservation.
The head of state is one such traditionalist and he basks in the latitudes of his Zulu culture.
Those who criticise him tend to be dismissed as members of the “chattering classes”, who have been indoctrinated by Western values.
Those who campaigned against a second term for Mr Zuma at the recent ANC conference pointed to his alleged corruptibility and poor economic management, with growth slowing to 2.5%.
Though not a pressing concern, his personal life was also raised as a cause for concern, with his opponents suggesting that his polygamy was setting a bad example for the youth, especially given South Africa’s high HIV rates.