Ricardo Santoswas born in Lisbon on 20 April 1954. Came to Beira in 1958. Two years later he went to Nampula, where he lived until 1971, when he went to the university in Maputo.

Between 1974 and 1978 he was a journalist in the newspaper "A Tribuna" and the Mozambique Information Agency. He served as Head of the Frelimo Central Committee until 1986. He graduated from the first Development Course (1979-1980) of the Center for African Studies. Until 1992 he was Director of CEDIMO.

For family reasons, he lived and worked in Portugal for several years, having been Director of Informatics of a company.