List of South Africans

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

Academics

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

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. (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 
Candice Swanepoel (born 1988), Victoria's Secret model

Visual Artists

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

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

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

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

Basketball

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

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, 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)

References

 

South African
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