Top 100 Greatest South Africans

Top 100 Greatest South Africans

1.Nelson Mandela, first president of post-Apartheid South Africa and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner (1918–)

2.Christiaan Barnard, pioneering heart transplant 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 HIV/AIDS activist who died of the disease (1989–2001)

6. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, politician and 2nd wife of Nelson Mandela (1936–)

7.Thabo Mbeki, second president of post-Apartheid South Africa (1942–)

8.Gary Player, golfer (1936–)

9.Jan Smuts, statesman (1870–1950)

10.Desmond Tutu, cleric and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1931–)

11.Hansie Cronje, cricketer (1969–2002)

12.Charlize Theron, actress and Academy Award winner (1975–)

13.Steve Biko, political activist (1946–1977)

14.Shaka Zulu, founder of the Zulu nation (1787–1828)

15.Mangosuthu Buthelezi, politician and a Zulu prince (1928–)

16. Tony Leon, politician (1956–)

17.Brenda Fassie, singer (1964–2004)

18.Mark Shuttleworth, Web entrepreneur, founder of Thawte, distributor of Ubuntu Linux and second fee paying space tourist (1973–)

19.Hendrik Verwoerd, former prime minister and primary architect of Apartheid (1901–1966)

20.Chris Hani, political activist who was Secretary General of the SACP when he was assassinated (1942–1993)

21.Bonginkosi Dlamini, also known as “Zola”, poet, actor and musician (1977–)

22.Patricia de Lille, politician (1951–)

23.Johnny Clegg, also known as “The White Zulu”, musician (1953–)


24.Helen Suzman, stateswoman (1917–2009)

25.Eugène Terre’Blanche founder of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (1941–2010)

26.Pieter-Dirk Uys political satirist and entertainer (1945–)

27.Paul Kruger, four times president of South African Republic (1825–1904)

28.Anton Rupert, businessman and environmentalist (1916–2006)

29.Jonty Rhodes, cricketer (1969–)

30.Leon Schuster, filmmaker, comedian, actor and prankster (entertainer)

31.Oliver Tambo, political activist who spent 30 years in exile (1917–1993)

32.Steve Hofmeyr, musician and actor

33.Walter Sisulu, political activist (1912–2003)

34.Cyril Ramaphosa, politician and businessman

35.J. R. R. Tolkien, author (wrote Lord of the Rings) (1892–1973)

36.Beyers Naude, cleric and anti-apartheid activist (1915–2004)

37.Ernie Els, golfer (1969–)

38.Miriam Makeba, musician (1932–2008)

40.Patrice Motsepe, businessman

41.Trevor Manuel, civil engineer, minister of finance and politician

42.Albert Luthuli, cleric, politician and 1960 Nobel Peace Prize winner († 1967)

43.Robert Sobukwe, former political activist and founder of the PAC (1924–1978)

44.Tokyo Sexwale, politician and businessman

45.Danny Jordaan, politician and soccer administrator

46.Fatima Meer, scientist and political activist

47.Ahmed Kathrada, political activist

48.Joe Slovo, communist politician (1926–1995)

49.Natalie du Toit, disabled olympic swimmer

50.Jomo Sono, soccer coach

51.Francois Pienaar, captain of the Springboks, the winning team in the 1995 Rugby World Cup

52.John Kani, actor, entertainer and writer

53.Penny Heyns, olympic swimmer

54.Jeremy Mansfield, radio and TV personality

55.Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana and Leeds United soccer captain

56.Mamphela Ramphele, political activist, academic, businesswoman and mother to the son of Steve Biko

57.Cecil Rhodes, businessman and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (1853–1902)

58.Albertina Sisulu, political activist and wife of Walter Sisulu (1919–2011 )

59.Aggrey Klaaste, journalist and editor who advocated Nation Building during the struggle years

60.Alan Paton, author (1903–1988)

61.Harry Oppenheimer, businessman (1908–2000)

62.Zackie Achmat, HIV positive AIDS activist and critic of government AIDS policies

63.Doctor Khumalo, soccer player

64.Jan van Riebeeck, first colonial administrator (1619–1677)

65.Bruce Fordyce, ultra-marathon runner

66.Enoch Sontonga, teacher, lay-preacher and composer wrote “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”

67.Zola Budd, athlete (1966–)

68.Sol Plaatje, journalist and political activist (1877–1932)

69.Danie Craven, rugby player and administrator (1910–1994)

70.Alan Boesak, cleric and politician

71.Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, talk show host, public speaker and businesswoman

72.Yvonne Chaka Chaka, musician

73.“Baby” Jakes Matlala, boxer and junior flyweight champion

74.Kaizer Motaung, founder of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club

75.Basetsana Kumalo, former Miss South Africa, presenter and businesswoman

76.Antjie Krog, poet, novelist and playwright

77.Dullah Omar, politician

78.Mandoza, musician

79.Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, politician and former wife of Jacob Zuma

80.Raymond Ackerman, businessman

81.Nadine Gordimer, 1991 Nobel Prize-winning author (1923–)

82.Daniel François Malan, former Prime Minister responsible for laying the groundwork for Apartheid (1874–1959)

83.Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, politician (1940–2010)

84.James Barry Munnik Hertzog, former Prime Minister (1866–1942)

85.Hector Pieterson, a young boy whose death has become the symbol of the Soweto uprisings of June 1976

86.Sewsunker “Papwa” Sewgolum, golfer

87.William Smith, TV teacher and presenter

88.Pieter Willem Botha, former prime minister and state president (1916–2006)

89.Hugh Masekela, musician

90.Bulelani Ngcuka, politician

91.Jody Scheckter, Formula One world champion (1950–)

92.George Bizos, lawyer

93.Mbongeni Ngema, playwright, actor, choreographer and director

94.PJ Powers, musician

95.Mimi Coertse, musician

96.Mrs Ples, the oldest hominid skull found at Sterkfontein cave

97.Abdullah Ibrahim, aka “Dollar Brand”, musician

98.Govan Mbeki, political activist and father of Thabo Mbeki

99.Jamie Uys, Film Director (1921–1996)

100.Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, artist

Great South Africans was a South African television series that aired on SABC3 and hosted by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and Denis Beckett. 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, SABC3, which aired a series of profiles and documentaries in the weeks leading up to the announcement of the top 100. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_South_Africans_%28TV_series%29