Top 100 Great South Africans

In September 2004, thousands of South Africans took part in an informal nationwide poll to determine the "100 Greatest South Africans" of all time. Votes were cast by telephone, SMS, and the website of the state-run South African Broadcasting Corporation television channel, SABC 3, which aired a series of profiles and documentaries in the weeks leading up to the announcement of the top 100.

The progamme was modelled on the BBC's "Greatest Britons" series, which saw World War 2 leader Winston Churchill lead the rankings as history's Greatest Briton. In South Africa, the list was headed by Nelson Mandela, a predictable and highly-popular choice, given his global stature as a statesman and symbol of post-Apartheid liberation and reconciliation. In 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to discover the 100 Greatest Britons of all time. ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, and politician, Churchill is generally regarded as... Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, (born 18 July 1918) a former President of South Africa, was one of its chief anti-apartheid activists, and was also an anti-apartheid saboteur. ...

Other popular choices ranged from Professor Christiaan Barnard, the pioneering heart surgeon, to General Jan Smuts, wartime Prime Minister and co-founder of the League of Nations, to Shaka Zulu, the 19th Century warrior leader of the Zulu Nation, to Internet entrepreneur and civilian space traveller Mark Shuttleworth. Christiaan Neethling Barnard (sometimes incorrectly written Barnaard, November 8, 1922 - September 2, 2001) was a heart South Africa, who became known for performing the worlds first human open heart transplantation in 1967. ... Jan Christiaan Smuts, (May 24, 1870 - September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African statesman and soldier. ... The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... Shaka Shaka (sometimes spelled Chaka) (ca. ...

While the list was clearly intended as a touchstone for debate and a source of public entertainment, the SABC soon became embroiled in a national controversy over the high rankings accorded to some South Africans who were less widely regarded as "great". For example, Hendrik Verwoerd, the "Architect of Apartheid", ranked higher on the list than Albert Luthuli, South Africa's first Nobel Peace laureate.

Other controversial choices included an 11th placing for Hansie Cronje, the disgraced former Captain of the South African cricket squad, who admitted to taking bribes to influence the outcome of international test matches, and Jeremy Mansfield, a radio presenter best known for his prank telephone calls and sexually explicit anecdotes.

The national debate over the list reflected the deep divisions still inherent in South African society, even a decade after the nation's first democratic elections. On October 15, bowing to pressure from political commentators and sections of the media, the SABC announced that the show was being cancelled, leaving positions 2 to 10 still formally undecided.

This is the original list of "100 Greatest South Africans", with positions 2 to 10 still to be confirmed by public vote, before the show was taken off the air:

1. Nelson Mandela, first president of democratic South Africa and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner (1918 - )
2. Christiaan Barnard, pioneering heart surgeon (1922 - 2001)
3. F.W. de Klerk, former president and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner (1936 - )
4. Mahatma Gandhi, political activist (1869 - 1948)
5. Nkosi Johnson, child who died of AIDS (1989 - 2002)
6. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, politician and 2nd wife of Nelson Mandela (1936 - )
7. Thabo Mbeki, current president (1942 - )
8. Gary Player, golfer (1936 - )
9. Jan Smuts, statesman (1870 - 1950)
10. Desmond Tutu, cleric and Nobel Peace Prize winner
11. Hansie Cronje, cricketer (1969 - 2002)
12. Charlize Theron, actress and Academy Award winner (1975 - )
13. Steve Biko, political activist (1946 - 1977)
14. Shaka, founder of the Zulu nation (1787 - 1828)
15. Mangosuthu Buthelezi, politician and a Zulu prince
16. Tony Leon, politician (1956 - )
17. Brenda Fassie, singer (1964 - 2004)
18. Mark Shuttleworth, Web entrepreneur, founder of Thawte, astronaut
19. Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, former prime minister and primary architect of Apartheid (1901 - 1966)
20. Chris Hani, political activist (1942 - 1993)
21. Bonginkosi Dlamini, also known as "Zola", poet, actor and musician
22. Patricia de Lille, politician
23. Johnny Clegg, also known as "The White Zulu", musician (1953 - )
24. Helen Suzman, stateswoman (1917 - )
25. Eugène Terre'Blanche, right wing activist
26. Pieter Dirk Uys political satirist and entertainer
27. Paul Kruger, four times president of South African Republic (1825 - 1904)
28. Anton Rupert, businessman and environmentalist
29. Jonty Rhodes, cricketer
30. Leon Schuster, filmmaker, comedian, actor and prankster
31. Oliver Tambo, political activist (1917 - 1993)
32. Steve Hofmeyr, musician and actor
33. Walter Sisulu, political activist (1912 - 2003)
34. Cyril Ramaphosa, politician and businessman
35. JRR Tolkien, author (1892 - 1973)
36. Beyers Naude, cleric and anti-apartheid activist (1915 - 2004)
37. Ernie Els, golfer (1969 - )
38. Miriam Makeba, musician
39. Patrice Motsepe, businessman
40. Trevor Manuel, politician
41. Albert Luthuli, cleric, politician and 1960 Nobel Peace Prize winner († 1967)
42. Robert Sobukwe, political activist (1924 - 1978)
43. Tokyo Sexwale, politician and businessman
44. Danny Jordaan, politician and soccer administrator
45. Fatima Meer, scientist and political activist
46. Ahmed Kathrada, political activist
47. Joe Slovo, politician (1926 - 1995)
48. Natalie du Toit, disabled swimmer
49. Jomo Sono, soccer coach
50. Francois Pienaar, former Springboks rugby captain (1967 - )
51. John Kani, actor, entertainer and writer
52. Penny Heyns, swimmer
53. Jeremy Mansfield, radio and TV personality
54. Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana soccer captain
55. Mamphela Ramphele, political activist, academic, businesswoman and mother to the son of Steve Biko
56. Cecil Rhodes, businessman (1853 - 1902)
57. Albertina Sisulu, political activist and wife of Walter Sisulu (1919 - )
58. Aggrey Klaaste, journalist and editor
59. Alan Paton, author (1903 - 1988)
60. Harry Oppenheimer, businessman (1908 - 2000)
61. Zackie Achmat, AIDS activist
62. Doctor Khumalo, soccer player
63. Jan van Riebeeck, first colonial administrator (1619 - 1677)
64. Bruce Fordyce, ultra-marathon runner
65. Enoch Sontonga, teacher, lay-preacher and composer wrote "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika"
66. Zola Budd, athlete (1966 - )
67. Sol Plaatje, journalist and political activist (1877 - 1932)
68. Danie Craven, rugby player and administrator (1910 - 1994)
69. Alan Boesak, cleric and politician
70. Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, talk show host, public speaker and businesswoman
71. Yvonne Chaka Chaka, musician
72. "Baby" Jakes Matlala, boxer and junior flyweight champion
73. Kaizer Motaung, founder of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club
74. Basetsana Kumalo, former Miss South Africa, presenter and businesswoman
75. Antjie Krog, poet, novelist and playwright
76. Dullah Omar, politician
77. Mandoza, musician
78. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, politician
79. Raymond Ackerman, businessman
80. Nadine Gordimer, 1991 Nobel Prize-winning author (1923 - )
81. Daniel François Malan, former Prime Minister responsible for laying the groundwork for Apartheid (1874 - 1959)
82. Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, politician
83. James Barry Munnik Hertzog, former Prime Minister (1866 - 1942)
84. Hector Pieterson, a young boy whose death has became the symbol of the Soweto uprisings of June 1976
85. Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum, golfer
86. William Smith, TV teacher and presenter
87. Pieter Willem Botha, former prime minister and state president (1916 - )
88. Hugh Masekela, musician
89. Bulelani Ngcuka, politician
90. Jody Scheckter, Formula One world champion (1950 - )
91. George Bizos, lawyer
92. Mbongeni Ngema, playwright, actor, choreographer and director
93. PJ Powers, musician
94. Mimi Coertse, musician
95. Mrs Ples, the oldest hominid skull found at Sterkfontein cave
96. Abdullah Ibrahim, aka "Dollar Brand", musician
97. Govan Mbeki, political activist and father of Thabo Mbeki
98. Jamie Uys, Film Director (1921 - 1996)
99. Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, artist
100. Athol Fugard, playwright (1932 - )
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, (born 18 July 1918) a former President of South Africa, was one of its chief anti-apartheid activists, and was also an anti-apartheid saboteur. ... Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Christiaan Neethling Barnard (sometimes incorrectly written Barnaard, November 8, 1922 - September 2, 2001) was a heart South Africa, who became known for performing the worlds first human open heart transplantation in 1967. ... President F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) is a former President of South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... Nkosi Johnson (February 4, 1989 - June 1, 2001) was a South African child victim of HIV/AIDS, who made a powerful impact on public perceptions of the pandemic and its effects before his death at the age of 12. ... AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, sometimes written Aids) is a global, human epidemic. ... Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born September 26, 1934 or 1936), born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela, is the ex-wife of former South African president (May 1994-June 1999) and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. ... President Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born June 18, 1942) is the President of the Republic of South Africa. ... Gary Player (born November 1, 1935) is a South African Professional golfer. ... Jan Christiaan Smuts, (May 24, 1870 - September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African statesman and soldier. ... Archbishop Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born October 7, 1931) is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame in the 1980s through his opposition to apartheid. ... Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Wessel Johannes Hansie Cronje (September 25, 1969 - June 1, 2002) was a South African cricketer (all-rounder) and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s. ... Charlize Theron at the Academy Awards ceremony 2004. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Stephen Biko Stephen Bantu Biko (December 18, 1946 - September 12, 1977) was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s. ... Shaka Shaka (sometimes spelled Chaka) (ca. ... The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 11 million people who live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... Chief Mangosuthu (Gatsha) Buthelezi (Born August 27, 1928) is a South African Zulu leader, and leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) which he formed in 1975. ... Tony Leon Anthony James Leon (born December 15, 1956), South African politician, is the leader of South Africas main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. ... Brenda Fassie (November 3, 1964–May 9, 2004), a South African pop singer, was widely considered the voice for the disenfranchised blacks during apartheid. ... Mark Shuttleworth arrived at the ISS on April 27, 2002. ... Thawte Consulting is a certificate authority (CA) for X.509 certificates. ... Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (8 September 1901 - 6 September 1966) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 to 1966, when he was assassinated. ... Apartheid (International Phonetic Alphabet or in English and in Afrikaans) is the policy and the system of laws implemented and continued by White minority governments in South Africa from 1948 till 1990; and by extension any legally sanctioned system of racial segregation. ... Chris Hani, born Martin Thembisile Hani (June 28, 1942 – April 10, 1993) was the leader of the South African Communist Party and Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). ... Bonginkosi Dlamini, aka Zola is a poet, actor, musician and also presents a television show by the same name Zola on SABC 1. ... Patricia de Lille is the leader of the Independent Democrats, a South African political party which she formed in 2003 when she broke away from the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). ... Johnny Clegg (born July 13, 1953 Lancashire (near Manchester) UK) is a popular musician from South Africa, who has recorded and performed with his bands Juluka and Savuka. ... Helen Suzman (born Helen Gavronsky) (1917 - ) is an anti-apartheid activist and politician. ... Eugène Ney TerreBlanche is an Afrikaner white supremacist who founded the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. ... Pieter-Dirk Uys is a South African satirist, particularly well known for his character Evita Bezuidenhout, a white Afrikaner socialite and self-proclaimed political activist, inspired by Australian comedian Barry Humphries character Dame Edna Everage. ... Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paul Kruger (October 10, 1825 - July 14, 1904), a. ... The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa, occupied the area later known as the province of Transvaal, first from 1857 to 1877, and again, after a successful Afrikaner rebellion against British rule... Anton Edward Rupert (4 October 1916 _ ) is an Afrikaner-South African billionaire entrepreneur, businessman and conservationist. ... Jonathan Neil Rhodes (born July 26, 1969 in Pietermaritzburg), better known as Jonty, is a South African cricketer, famous for his fielding skills. ... Leon Schuster, a filmmaker, comedian and actor, is South Africas candid camera king. ... Oliver Reginald Tambo (27 October 1917 - 24 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC). ... Steve Hofmeyr, a South African singer, songwriter and actor born on 29 August 1962. ... Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (May 18, 1912 - May 5, 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). ... Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African lawyer, trade union leader, activist, politician and businessman. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... Theodore Ernest (Ernie) Els (born October 17, 1969) is a South African golfer. ... Miriam Makeba is a South African singer. ... Patrice Motsepe is a leading South African mining entrepreneur. ... Trevor Manuel was born in January 1956 to a Cape Town civil servant, and grew up and was educated in the city. ... Albert John Lutuli (also known by his Zulu name Mvumbi, his surname is sometimes and probably more phonetically spelt Luthuli) (1898? - 21 July 1967) was a South African teacher and politician. ... Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe (1924 – 27 February 1978) was a South African political dissident, who founded the Pan African Congress in opposition to the Apartheid regime. ... Mosima Gabriel Sexwale (commonly known as Tokyo Sexwale) (5 March 1953 - ) is one of South Africa’s most prominent businessmen as well as a former politician, anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. ... Danny Jordaan (1951 _ ) is a South African sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti_apartheid activist. ... Fatima Meer (28 August 1928 - ) is a South African writer and academic and was a prominent anti-apartheid activist. ... Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada (sometimes nicknamed Kathy) (21 August 1929 - ) is a South African politician and was an anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. ... Joe Slovo Joe Slovo (May 23, 1926 – January 6, 1995) was a South African Communist politician and long time leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and leading member of the African National Congress. ... Natalie du Toit (29 January 1984 - ) is a South African swimmer. ... Matsilela Ephraim Sono (affectionately known as Jomo Sono and sometimes also called the Black Prince of South African Soccer) (17 July 1955 - ) is a South African soccer club owner and coach and was also a star soccer player. ... Francois Pienaar (born 25 January 1967) is a South African rugby player (in the flank position), captain and coach. ... The Springboks or Bokke are the South African national rugby team. ... John Kani (1943 -) is a South African actor, director and playwright. ... Penelope Heyns (better known as Penny Heyns) (born 8 November 1974) is a South African swimmer. ... Jeremy Mansfield is a South African radio host, television presenter, comedian and part-time member of a boy-band Eastlife. ... Lucas Radebe (born 4 December 1969) is a former South African soccer player and national team captain. ... First International Australia 1 - 2 South Africa (Sydney, Australia; 10 May 1947) Largest win Australia 0 - 8 South Africa (Adelaide, Australia; 17 September 1955) Worst defeat Australia 5 - 1 South Africa (Newcastle, Australia; 7 June 1947) Mexico 4 - 0 South Africa (Los Angeles, USA; 6 October 1993) USA 4 - 0... Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (28 December 1947 - ) is a South African academic, businesswoman and medical doctor and was an anti-apartheid activist. ... Cecil John Rhodes (July 5, 1853 – March 26, 1902) was an English businessman and the effective founder of the state of Rhodesia (which was named after him). ... Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu (born 1919) is a black South African anti–apartheid activist, and the widow of fellow activist Walter Sisulu (1912 _ 2003). ... Aggrey Klaaste (6 January 1940 – 19 June) 2004 was a South African newspaper journalist and editor. ... Alan Stewart Paton ( 11th January 1903 - 12th April 1988), South African author and founder in 1953 of the South African Liberal Party, noted for his opposition to the Apartheid system. ... Harry Oppenheimer (1993) Harry Frederick Oppenheimer (28 October 1908 - 19 August 2000), was a prominent South African businessman and one of the worlds richest men. ... Born Abdurazzack Achmat, but known widely as Zackie. ... Theophilus Khumalo (better known as Doctor Khumalo) (born 26 June 1967 in Soweto) is a South African soccer player. ... Categories: Stub | History of the Netherlands | Dutch colonies ... Bruce Fordyce is a South African marathon and ultramarathon athlete. ... Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (ca. ... Zola Budd, born May 26, 1966 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State in South Africa is an athlete who shot to fame at the age of 17 in 1984 when she broke the 5000m world record in 15 minutes 1. ... Solomon Tshekiso Plaatje (1877 – June 19, 1932) was an African polyglot, journalist, writer and statesman. ... Danie Craven (Daniël Hartman Craven) (11 October 1910 - 4 January 1994) is a former Western Province, Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal and Springbok Rugby Union player as well as arguably South Africas best and most well-known rugby administrator ever. ... Reverend Allan Boesak (23 February South African Dutch Reformed Church cleric and was a politician and anti-apartheid activist. ... Kaizer Chiefs are a leading South African football team, founded in 1970. ... Antjie Krog, born on 23 October 1952 in Kroonstad, a town in the Free State, is a South African poet, novelist, playwright, and journalist. ... Abdullah Mohamed Omar (May 26, 1934 - March 13, 2004), better known as Dullah Omar was a South African anti-Apartheid activist, lawyer, and a minister in the South African cabinet from 1994 till his death. ... Doctor Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma (27 January 1949 - ) is a South African politician and was an anti-apartheid activist. ... Raymond Ackerman (10 March 1931 - ) is a South African businessman, best known for founding the Pick n Pay supermarket group, of which he is still (as of 2005) the chairperson. ... Nadine Gordimer (b. ... The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes... Daniel François Malan ( May 22, 1874 - February 7, 1959) is seen as the champion of South African nationalism. ... James Barry Munnik Hertzog, better known as Barry Hertzog, (1866-1942) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924 to 1939. ... Hector Pieterson (1964 - 16 June 1976) became the iconic image of the 1976 Soweto Uprising in apartheid South Africa when a news photograph by Sam Mzima of the dying Hector being carried by a fellow student, was published around the world. ... William Smith is South Africas best-known and most popular television science and mathematics teacher. ... P.W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha, (born January 12, 1916) commonly known as P.W. and as die groot krokodil (the great crocodile) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and State President of South Africa from 1984 to 1989. ... Hugh Masekela (born Johannesburg, April 4, 1939) is a South African flugelhorn and cornet player. ... Bulelani T Ngcuka (2 May 1954 - ), the first national director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa. ... Jody David Scheckter (January 29, 1950- ) is a former auto racing driver, the 1979 Formula One World Drivers Champion. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is a form of formula racing and the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... George Bizos a distinguished human rights advocate who defended against apartheid in South Africa. ... Mbongeni Ngema (b. ... Penelope Jane Dunlop also known as PJ Powers or Thandeka (16 July 1960 - ) has enjoyed a highly successful musical career in South Africa spanning more than 15 years, during which time she has been one of the few white entertainers who has crossed cultural barriers and been loved by both... Mimi Coertse (born 12 June 1932), is a South African soprano. ... Mrs. ... Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for strong fountain) is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located Northeast of Johannesburg, South Africa near the town of Krugersdorp. ... Abdullah Ibrahim, also known as Dollar Brand, is a South African pianist and composer who was born in Cape Town in 1934. ... Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki (1910 - 2001) was a South African politician, and father of Thabo Mbeki, the current President of South Africa. ... Jamie Uys Jamie Uys was a South African film director born on 30 May 1921 as Jacobus Johannes Uys. ... Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef (generally just known as Pierneef) (13 August 1886 – 4 October 1957) was a South African landscape artist, generally considered to be one of the best of the old South African masters. ... Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard (born in 1932), better known as Athol Fugard, is a well-known South African playwright. ...

Other notable South Africans

A-H

• Neil Aggett, political activist and trade unionist († 1982)
• Herman Charles Bosman, author (1905 - 1951)
• Louis Botha, statesman (1862 - 1919)
• Naas Botha, rugby player and TV presenter (1958 - )
• Schalk Burger, rugby player (1983 - )
• Roy Campbell, poet (1901 - 1957)
• John Michael Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning author, twice winner of the Booker Prize (1940 - )
• Clement Martyn Doke, linguist (1893 - 1980)
• Cliff Drysdale, tennis player and television commentator (1941 - )
• K. Sello Duiker, novelist (1974-2005)
• Frik du Preez, rugby player (1935 - )
• Os du Randt, rugby player (1972 - )
• Retief Goosen, golfer (1969 - )
• Ronald Harwood, playwright and writer (1934 - )

Neil Aggett (died 5 February 1982), was a South African trade union leader and labour activist. ... Herman Charles Bosman (1905 - October 14, 1951) was a South African writer and journalist who became famous for capturing the rhythms of backveld Afrikaans speech even though he wrote in English. ... Louis Botha Louis Botha (1862-1919) was an Afrikaaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa. ... Naas Botha (Hendrik Egnatius Botha) (born 27 February 1958) is a former Northern Transvaal and Springbok Rugby Union player. ... Schalk Schalla Burger Jr. ... Roy Campbell (2 October 1901 – 22 April 1957) was a South African poet and satirist. ... J.M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee (pronounced coot-SEE-uh) is a South African author. ... The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes... The Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. ... Clement Martyn Doke (1893-1980) was a South African linguist. ... The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ... Kabelo Sello Duiker, (April 13, 1974 – January 19, 2005), was a South African novelist. ... Frik du Preez (Frederick Christoffel Hendrik du Preez) (born 28 November 1935) is a former Northern Transvaal and Springbok Rugby Union player. ... Jacobus Petrus du Randt, better known as Os du Randt (born 8 September 1972 in Elliot, South Africa), is a South African rugby player who plays as a loosehead prop for the Springboks, Cats (Super 12), and Free State Cheetahs (Currie Cup). ... Retief Goosen (born February 3, 1969 in Pietersburg (now Polokwane), South Africa) is a professional golfer. ... Ronald Harwood (born November 9, 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a playwright and writer. ...

I-Q

• Goodwill Zwelethini kaBhekuzulu, king of the Zulu nation (1948 - )
• Robert Lange, music producer (1948 - )
• Adolph Malan, fighter pilot and civil rights activist (1910 - 1963)
• Magnus Malan, minister of defence and chief of the South African Defence Force (1930 - )
• Dalene Matthee, author (1938 - 2005)
• Dave Matthews, musician (1967 - )
• Mike Melvill, test pilot and first commercial astronaut (1940 - )
• Gcina Mhlope, storyteller, author, playwright, director, actor (1959 - )
• Phaswane Mpe, novelist (1970 - 2004)
• Victoria Mxenge, anti-apartheid activist
• Lilian Ngoyi, anti-apartheid activist
• Andries Pretorius, Boer leader and commandant-general (1799 - 1853)
• Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, Boer leader and first president of the South African Republic

Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu (b. ... The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 11 million people who live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... Robert John Mutt Lange, born November 16, 1948 in Mufilira, in southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), is an extremely successful record producer of popular music. ... Adolph Gysbert Malan (March 24, 1910 _ September 17, 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a famed World War II RAF fighter pilot who led 74 Squadron during the height of the Battle of Britain. ... General Magnus Malan (b. ... Dalene Matthee (1938 - 20 February 2005) was a South African author who wrote mainly in Afrikaans, although her books were translated into fourteen other languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Icelandic. ... Dave Matthews, 2003 Dave Matthews (born January 9, 1967 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is the vocalist and guitarist from Dave Matthews Band. ... SpaceShipOne test pilot Mike Melvill Michael W. Melvill (born November 1941) is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites. ... Phaswane Mpe, (September 10, 1970-December 12, 2004), was a South African poet and novelist. ... Victoria Mxenge, (1942 - 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. ... -1... Andries Pretorius Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius (1799 - 23 July 1853) was a leader of the Boers who created the Republic of Transvaal (1852 - 1900) as well as the earlier but short lived Republic of Natalia (1839 - 1843) in present-day South Africa. ... Boer is the Afrikaans language word for farmer. ... Son of Andries Pretorius, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (17 September 1819 - 19 May 1901) was the first president of the South African Republic, and also compiled the constitution of the Republic. ... Boer is the Afrikaans language word for farmer. ...

R-Z

• Trevor Rabin, musician (1954 - )
• Olive Schreiner, author (1855 - 1920)
• Gerard Sekoto, artist and musician (1913 - 1993)
• Anthony Sher, actor, author and painter (1949 - )
• Joel Stransky, rugby player and TV presenter (1967 - )
• Janet Suzman, actress (1939 - )
• Jaco van der Westhuyzen, rugby player (1978 - )
• Joe van Niekerk, rugby player (1980 - )
• B.J. Vorster, former prime minister and state president (1915 - 1983)
• Donald Woods, journalist
• Heinz Winckler, singer and winner of the first series of Idols (1978 - )

See also: List of people by nationality, List of South African Jews Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabinowitz on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for his contributions to 90125 era Yes albums. ... Olive Schreiner (Olive Emilie Albertina Schreiner) (March 24, 1855 - December 11, 1920) was a South African writer. ... Sir Anthony Sher (born June 14, 1949) is an actor, and novelist. ... Joel Stransky (born 16th July 1967) is a former South African rugby union footballer, most notable for scoring the winning drop goal in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. ... Janet Suzman (born February 9, 1939) is a South African actress. ... Jaco van der Westhuyzen (born 6 April 1978 in Groblersdal, Mpumalanga province, South Africa) is a South African rugby union footballer who plays fly-half or full back. ... Johann Joe van Niekerk (born 14 May 1980 in Port Elizabeth) is a South African rugby player, who generally plays either as a flanker or Number 8. ... B. J. Vorster Balthazar Johannes Vorster (December 13, 1915 - September 10, South Africa from 1966 to 1978, and President from 1978 to 1979. ... Donald Woods ( December 15, 1933 - August 19, 2001) was a South African anti- apartheid activist. ... Heinz Winckler (b. ... Idols is a television show on the South African television network M-Net, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. ... There are a variety of articles listing people of a particular nationality. ... There are a small number of Black African groups that practice Judaism, the most prominent of which are the Beta Israel of Ethiopia. ...

External links

• Great South Africans (http://greatsouthafricans.sabc3.co.za/)
• Competition axed (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3746400.stm)

Other Great People

100 Greatest Britons, Unsere Besten, The Greatest Canadian, De Grootste Nederlander, Suuret Suomalaiset, The Greatest American, and Le Plus Grand Français. In 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to discover the 100 Greatest Britons of all time. ... Unsere Besten (Our Best) was a television series shown in German public television (ZDF) in 2003. ... Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a project by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, to find who is the greatest ever Canadian. ... In 2004, the broadcasting company, KRO (Publieke Omroep) conducted a vote to discover the greatest Dutchmen/Dutchwomen of all time (De Grootste Nederlander). ... Suuret Suomalaiset (Great Finns) is a Finnish copycat-version of the 100 Greatest Britons programme on the BBC. Made by the national broadcaster YLE over October to December 2004. ... The Greatest American is a public vote, modeled after the 100 Greatest Britons competition, in which citizens of the United States are being asked to nominate, and then later vote for, the Greatest American. The competition is being conducted by AOL and the Discovery Channel. ... Le Plus Grand Français de tous les temps (The Greatest Frenchman of all Time) was a France 2 program broadcast during early 2005! It was based on the original series Great Britons on the BBC. The show asked the French viewers who they thought was the Greatest Frenchman or Frenchwoman. ...