List of South Africans

This is a list of notable South Africans who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles.

Flag of South Africa

Academics

Medical

• Christiaan Barnard (1922–2001), pioneering heart surgeon
• Max Theiler (1899–1972), virologist, 1951 Nobel Prize winner

Scientists

See also: South African scientists

• Robert Broom (1866–1951), palaeontologist
• Sydney Brenner (born 1927), biologist, 2002 Nobel Prize winner
• Allan McLeod Cormack (1924–1998), physicist

Writers

Authors

J.M. Coetzee

Nadine Gordimer

• J.M. (John Maxwell) Coetzee (b. 1940), 2003 Nobel Prize-winning author
• Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014), 1991 Nobel Prize-winning author
• Karel Schoeman (b. 1939), novelist and historian
• J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), author of The Lord of The Rings

Journalists

• John Charles Daly (1914–1991), television journalist, executive and game show host

Artists

Performing artists

Actors

• Charlize Theron (b. 1975), actress and director
• Jessica Lane (b. 1980) actress

Playwrights and film directors

• Neill Blomkamp (born 1979), director, District 9

Singers, musicians and composers

• Johnny Clegg (born 1953), musician
• Miriam Makeba ("Mama Afrika," 1932-2008), singer and civil rights activist
• Manfred Mann (born 1940), musician
• Hugh Masekela (born 1939), jazz trumpeter and singer
• Joseph Shabalala (born 1941), founder and director of Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Kobie van Rensburg (b. 1969), operatic tenor and director
• ZP Theart (b. 1975), singer, ex-Dragonforce

Media figures

• Troye Sivan (born 1995), YouTube personality, actor and singer
• Lindokuhle Modi (born 2004), Podcast host, actor and executive producer
• Candice Swanepoel (born 1988), Victoria's Secret model

Business

• Elon Musk (b. 1971), Internet and space launch entrepreneur
• Harry Oppenheimer (1908–2000), businessman
• Mamphela Ramphele (b. 1947), political activist, academic, businesswoman and mother to the son of Steve Biko
• Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902), businessman
• Anderson Mann (1975) businessman, Founder of Voov
• Mark Shuttleworth (b. 1973), web entrepreneur, founder of Thawte and Ubuntu Linux, space tourist

Political

Activists and trade unionists

• Steve Biko, nonviolent political activist (1946–1977)
• Ahmed Kathrada, political activist (born 1929)
• Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born 1936)
• Walter Sisulu, political activist (1912–2003)
• Oliver Tambo, political activist (1917–1993)

Apartheid operatives

• Eugène Terre'Blanche (1941–2010), white supremacist activist

Colonial and Union Governors

See also: British Cape governors

• Jan van Riebeeck (1619–1677), founder of Cape settlement

Leaders and politicians

• Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born 1936), politician and second wife of Nelson Mandela
• Jacob Zuma (born 1942), current President

Prime Ministers and Presidents

See also: Prime Ministers of the Cape Colony

Frederik de Klerk and Nelson Mandela

Thabo Mbeki

• Pieter Willem Botha, 9th and last Prime Minister and 8th State President of South Africa
• Frederik Willem de Klerk (1916–2006), 9th and last State President of South Africa (1990–1994) and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Paul Kruger (1825–1904), member of the Troika, 5th President of South African Republic
• Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), 1st democratically elected President of South Africa and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner
• Thabo Mbeki, 2nd post-apartheid President of South Africa
• Kgalema Motlanthe (born 1942), 3rd post-apartheid President of South Africa (born 1949)
• Jan Smuts (1870–1950), Boer general, British field marshal, 2nd and 4th Prime Minister of South Africa
• Johannes Strijdom (1893–1958), 6th Prime Minister of South Africa
• Jacob Zuma (born 1942), 4th post-apartheid President of South Africa

Royalty

• Mangosuthu Buthelezi, politician and a Zulu prince (born 1928)
• Shaka, founder of the Zulu nation (1787–1828)

Prelates, clerics and evangelists

Desmond Tutu

• Albert Luthuli, cleric, politician and 1960 Nobel Peace Prize winner (c. 1898–1967)
• Desmond Tutu, cleric and Nobel Peace Prize winner (born 1931)

Sport

Athletics

See also: South African athletes

• Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, middle distance runner, Olympic silver medallist (born 1980)
• Oscar Pistorius, double-amputee runner (born 1986)

Basketball

Steve Nash

• Steve Nash, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers (born 1974)

Cricket

• Norman Gordon, fast bowler (born 1911)
• Graeme Pollock, left-handed batsman (born 1944)

Golf

See also: South African golfers

Gary Player

• Ernie Els (born 1969)
• Gary Player (born 1936)

Ice Hockey

• Olaf Kölzig, goaltender (born 1970)

Motorsport

• Jody Scheckter, 1979 Formula One world champion (born 1950)

Rugby

• Joost van der Westhuizen, Springbok, scrum-half (born 1971)

Soccer

Quinton Fortune

Benni McCarthy

• Quinton Fortune, midfielder and defender for Manchester United (born 1977)
• Benni McCarthy, striker (born 1977)
• Steven Pienaar, Everton F.C. midfielder (born 1982)

Tennis

• Roger Federer, holds both Swiss and South African citizenship (born 1981)

Travelers, adventurers and pioneers

• Bartolomeu Dias, explorer who reached eastern Cape (c. 1450–1500)

Other

• Paul Lloyd Jr, first South African wrestler to wrestle in WWE, son of successful SA wrestling promoter Paul Lloyd (born 1981)
• Taung Child, homonid fossil (born c. 2.5 million years ago)