Obama is doing a "better job than he's given credit for," said US President Barack Obama's Democratic Party predecessor Bill Clinton.

Public perception of the president has lagged behind what he has done to benefit the country, Clinton said, speaking in Cape Town.

Clinton said, "I think he's done a better job than he's given credit for. I feel very strongly about this."

Obama is not fully responsible for how he is perceived, adding that a dip in approval is "not avoidable" in an economic downturn, said Clinton, who, like Obama, saw his polling numbers dip dramatically during his second year in office.

Polotico quoted Clinton, as saying, "Until people feel good about their own lives, they're not going to feel good about their president. And there's nothing you can do about that."

The former president said of Obama. "He is a brilliant, articulate and, I think, an exceedingly empathetic person." (With Inputs from Agencies)