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
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
Eugene 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 Kolzig, 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
South Africa