Nelson Mandela
1918 – 2013
First President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist (1918–2013)
autobiographerpolitical activistpolitical prisonerpoliticianlawyerscreenwriter
Born July 18Wikipedia →Famous People from South Africa
21 notable historical figures from South Africa, including leaders, artists, scientists, and other influential people.
minister (4)politician (4)autobiographer (2)prose writer (2)anti-apartheid activist (2)trade unionist (2)political activist (1)technology entrepreneur (1)dub actor (1)short story writer (1)
Elon Musk
1971 – Present
businessman and entrepreneur (born 1971)
technology entrepreneurdub actorprogrammerinvestorcivil servantinventorentrepreneurpoliticianengineer
Born June 28Wikipedia →Nadine Gordimer
1923 – 2014
South African writer (1923–2014)
short story writerprose writernovelistscientific editorplaywrightpoetwriter
Born November 20Wikipedia →Desmond Tutu
1931 – 2021
South African churchman, politician, archbishop, Nobel Prize winner (1931–2021)
Q137178813anti-apartheid activistProtestant theologiannon-fiction writerpolitical activistAnglican priesthuman rights defenderarchbishop
Born October 7Wikipedia →Charlize Theron
1975 – Present
South African and American actress (born 1975)
film actortelevision actormodelfilm producervoice actoractor
Born August 7Wikipedia →J. M. Coetzee
1940 – Present
South African and Australian writer and scholar (born 1940)
linguistprose writeressayistlibrettistnovelistcriticuniversity teachertranslatorpoetwriterscreenwriter
Born February 9Wikipedia →Thabo Mbeki
1942 – Present
President of South Africa from 1999 to 2008
economistministerpolitician
Born June 18Wikipedia →Jacob Zuma
1942 – Present
4th President of South Africa (2009–2018)
ministerpolitician
Born April 12Wikipedia →Miriam Makeba
1932 – 2008
South African singer and civil rights activist (1932–2008)
recording artistsingercomposeractor
Born March 4Wikipedia →Cyril Ramaphosa
1952 – Present
President of South Africa since 2018
trade unionistentrepreneurministerpoliticianbusinessperson
Born November 17Wikipedia →F. W. de Klerk
1936 – 2021
7th state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994
ministerpoliticianlawyer
Born March 18Wikipedia →Steve Biko
1946 – 1977
South African anti-apartheid activist (1946–1977)
trade unionistcivil rights advocatepoliticianwriter
Born December 18Wikipedia →Sydney Brenner
1927 – 2019
South African biologist, Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine 2002
geneticistuniversity teacherbiotechnologistbiologist
Born January 13Wikipedia →Oscar Pistorius
1986 – Present
South African sprinter and convicted murderer (born 1986)
athletics competitormurderer
Born November 22Wikipedia →Mark Shuttleworth
1973 – Present
South African entrepreneur; second self-funded visitor to the International Space Station
private astronautbloggerinventorsoftware developerentrepreneurcomputer scientistengineerbusinesspersonastronaut
Born September 18Wikipedia →Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
1936 – 2018
South African activist and politician (1936-2018)
politician
Born September 26Wikipedia →Max Theiler
1899 – 1972
South African-American virologist and doctor (1899-1972)
virologistchemistphysician
Born January 30Wikipedia →Albert John Mvumbi Luthuli
1898 – 1967
South African politician (1898–1967)
anti-apartheid activistautobiographerpoliticianteacher
Born January 1Wikipedia →Kgalema Motlanthe
1949 – Present
President of South Africa, Deputy President of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and Secretary-General of the African National Congress
ministerpolitician
Born July 19Wikipedia →Allan McLeod Cormack
1924 – 1998
American physicist (1924-1998)
biophysicist
Born February 23Wikipedia →