# List of South African writers

This is a list of writers from South Africa.

## A

* Lionel Abrahams (1928–2004)
* Peter Abrahams (1919–2017)
* Rehane Abrahams (born 1970)
* Wilna Adriaanse (born 1958)
* Tatamkulu Afrika (1920–2002), born in Egypt
* Lawrence Anthony (1950–2012)
* Hennie Aucamp (1934–2014)
* Diane Awerbuck (born 1974)

## B

* C. Johan Bakkes (born 1956)
* Christiaan Bakkes (born 1965)
* Margaret Bakkes (1931–2016)
* Jillian Becker (born 1932)
* Shabbir Banoobhai (born 1949)
* Lady Anne Barnard (1750–1825)
* Lesley Beake (born 1949)
* Mark Behr (born 1963), South Africa/Tanzania
* Dricky Beukes (1918–1999)
* Lauren Beukes (born 1976)
* Steve Biko (1946–1977)
* Troy Blacklaws (born 1965)
* François Bloemhof (born 1962)
* Elleke Boehmer (born 1961)
* Dugmore Boetie (c.1924–1966)
* Stella Blakemore (1906–1991)
* William Bolitho (1891–1930)
* Diphete Bopape (born 1957)
* Herman Charles Bosman (1905–1951)
* Alba Bouwer (1920–2010)
* Johanna Brandt (1876–1964)
* Breyten Breytenbach (1939–2024)
* André Brink (1935–2015)
* Babette Brown (1931–2019)
* Dennis Brutus (1924–2009)
* Guy Butler (1918–2001)

## C–D

* Roy Campbell (1901–1957)
* Cecile Cilliers (1933–2018)
* Stuart Cloete (1897–1976)
* J. M. Coetzee (born 1940), awarded 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature
* Bryce Courtenay (1933–2012)
* Jeremy Cronin (born 1949)
* Patrick Cullinan (1932–2011)
* Achmat Dangor (1948–2020)
* Ingrid de Kok (born 1951)
* Phillippa Yaa de Villiers (born 1966)
* Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo (1901–1971)
* Finuala Dowling (born 1962)
* Zebulon Dread (living)
* K. Sello Duiker (1974–2005)

## E–G

* Tony Eprile (born 1955), lives in the United States
* Ahmed Essop (1931–2019), born in India, grew up in Johannesburg
* Elisabeth Eybers (1915–2007)
* Mary Faulkner (1903–1973)
* Ruth First (1925–1982)
* Sir Percy FitzPatrick (1862–1931)
* Charles J. Fourie (born 1965)
* Lynn Freed (born 1945)
* Dave Freer (born 1959)
* Graeme Friedman
* Stacey Fru (born 2007)
* Athol Fugard (1932–2025)
* Sheila Fugard (born 1932), born in England
* Damon Galgut (born 1963)
* Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014), awarded 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
* Khaya Gqibitole
* Stephen Gray (1941–2020)
* Michael Cawood Green (born 1954)
* Mafika Gwala (1946–2014)

## H–J

* Megan Hall (born 1972)
* Joan Hambidge (born 1956)
* Bessie Head (1937–1986), born in South Africa, mainly in Botswana
* Cat Hellisen (born 1977)
* Manu Herbstein (born 1936)
* Christopher Hope (born 1944)
* Emma Huismans (born 1947)
* Robin Hyde (1906–1939), born in South Africa, living in New Zealand writer
* Mhlobo Jadezweni (born 1954)
* Karen Jennings (author) (born 1982)
* Ingrid Jonker (1933–1965)
* Archibald Campbell Jordan (1906–1968)
* Elsa Joubert (1922–2020)
* Gideon Joubert (1923–2010)
* Amy Jephta (born 1987)

## K–L

* Harry Kalmer (1956–2019)
* John Christoffel Kannemeyer (1939–2011)
* Farida Karodia (born 1942)
* Anne Kellas (born 1951), also connected with Australia
* Keorapetse Kgositsile (1938–2018)
* Fred Khumalo (born 1966)
* Robert Kirby (1936–2007)
* Antjie Krog (born 1952)
* Mazisi Kunene (1930–2006)
* Richard Kunzmann (born 1976)
* Ellen Kuzwayo (1914–2006)
* Alex La Guma (1925–1985)
* David Lambkin (born 1947), born in the United Kingdom
* Anne Landsman (born 1959)
* Mandla Langa (born 1950)
* C.J. Langenhoven (1873–1932)
* Greg Lazarus
* Etienne Leroux (1922–1989)
* Christine Barkhuizen le Roux (1959–2020)
* Steve Linde (born 1960), newspaperman
* Douglas Livingstone (1932–1996), born in Malaysia
* Anna M. Louw (1913–2003)

## M

* M.E.R. (1875–1975)
* Rozena Maart (born 1962)
* E. S. Madima
* Tenda Madima
* Sindiwe Magona (born 1943)
* Arthur Maimane (1932–2005)
* Angela Makholwa (born 1976)
* Lucas Malan (1946–2010)
* Rian Malan (born 1954)
* Nelson Mandela (1918–2013)
* Nozibele Mayaba
* Eugène Marais (1871–1936)
* Mohale Mashigo (born 1983)
* John Mateer (born 1971), also tied to Australia
* Mark Mathabane (born 1960)
* Todd Matshikiza (1921–1968)
* Don Mattera (1935–2022)
* Dalene Matthee (1938–2005)
* James McClure (1939–2006)
* Michelle McGrane (born 1974), born in Zimbabwe
* Zakes Mda (born 1948)
* Joan Metelerkamp (born 1956)
* Deon Meyer (born 1958)
* Thando Mgqolozana (born 1983)
* Niq Mhlongo (born 1973)
* Gcina Mhlophe (born 1959)
* Kirsten Miller
* Amitabh Mitra
* Bloke Modisane (1924–1986)
* Natalia Molebatsi
* Casey Motsisi (1932–1977)
* Phaswane Mpe (1970–2004)
* Es'kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele (1919–2008)
* Samuel E. K. Mqhayi (1875–1945)
* Lidudumalingani Mqombothi
* Oswald Mtshali (born 1940)
* Ena Murray (1936–2015)
* Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (1921–2020)

## N–R

* Njabulo Ndebele (born 1948)
* Lauretta Ngcobo (1931–2015)
* Christopher Robert Nicholson (born 1945)
* J.J. Ncongwane (born 1961)
* Lisa de Nikolits
* Lewis Nkosi (1936–2010)
* Arthur Nortje (1942–1970)
* Masande Ntshanga (born 1986)
* Sibusiso Nyembezi (1919–2000)
* Joy Packer (1905–1977)
* Raj Patel (born 1972)
* Alan Paton (1903–1988)
* Phumlani Pikoli (1988–2021)
* Sol T. Plaatje (1876–1932)
* Christine Qunta (born 1952)
* Jan Rabie (1920–2001)
* Mary Renault (1905–1983) (immigrated to South Africa 1948)
* Richard Rive (1931–1989)
* Dan Roodt (born 1957)
* Daphne Rooke (1914–2009)
* Henrietta Rose-Innes (born 1971)
* Eric Rosenthal (1905–1983)

## S

* Riana Scheepers (born 1957)
* Karel Schoeman (1939–2017)
* Alan Scholefield (1931–2017)
* Patricia Schonstein (born 1952)
* Olive Schreiner (1855–1920)
* Sipho Sepamla (1932–2007)
* Mongane Wally Serote (born 1944)
* Ishtiyaq Shukri (born 1968)
* Barney Simon (1932-1995)
* Gillian Slovo (born 1952)
* Adam Small (1936–2016)
* Russell Smith (born 1963), raised and living in Canada
* Wilbur Smith (1932–2021)
* Jason Staggie (born 1984)
* Willem Steenkamp
* Sylvester Stein (1920–2015)
* Jonny Steinberg (born 1970)
* Cynthia Stockley (1873–1936)
* Harold Strachan (1925–2020)
* Barry Streek (1948–2006)

## T–V

* Can Themba (1924–1969)
* Miriam Tlali (1933–2017)
* J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), Orange Free State/England
* John van de Ruit (born 1975)
* Sir Laurens van der Post (1906–1996)
* Etienne van Heerden (born 1956)
* John van Melle (1887–1953), born in the Netherlands
* Marlene van Niekerk (born 1954)
* Charles van Onselen
* Christopher van Wyk (1957–2014)
* F.A. Venter (1916–1997)
* Nicolaas Vergunst (born 1958)
* Benedict Vilakazi (1906–1947)
* Lettie Viljoen (born 1948)
* Anna de Villiers (1900–1979)
* A.G. Visser (1878–1929)
* Wayne Visser (born 1970)
* Ivan Vladislavic (born 1957)
* Gert Vlok Nel (born 1963)
* Eugène Terre'Blanche (1941–2010)

## W–Z

* Alf Wannenburgh (1936–2010)
* Zukiswa Wanner (born 1976)
* Lyall Watson (1939–2008)
* Mary Watson (born 1975)
* Stephen Watson (1955–2011)
* Zoe Wicomb (born 1948)
* Mark Winkler (born 1966)
* David Yudelman
* Rachel Zadok (born 1972), now based in London
* Rose Zwi (1928–2018), born in Mexico