South Africa's second largest political party says an education bill that would give the government more control over white minority language schools is a threat to the country’s new government of national unity.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the durability of his unity government on Friday, after a row over a contentious education bill exposed tensions between his ANC and its main coalition partner.

South Africa’s 10-party unity government will work through its differences and endure, because its collapse would erode investor confidence and set back efforts to grow the economy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.