List of South Africans

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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
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*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

### 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
 and Nelson Mandela]]
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*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
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*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
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*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
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*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
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*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