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Famous South Africans

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Profiles

  • Rufus Papenfus (deceased)
  • President Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg (1818 - 1865)
    Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg (16 May 1818 – 13 August 1865) was the Second President of the South African Republic, from 1863 to 1864. He was born near the town of Beaufort West, the son of Hen...
  • 'Mrs Ples' (deceased)
    'Mrs Ples' hominid fossil STS 5 ( b -2 0000000 ) Species: Australopithecus africanus Age: 2.05 mya Buried: Sterkfontein, South Africa Mrs. Ples is the popular nickname for the most complete sku...
  • Christiaan Leipoldt (1880 - 1947)
    C. Louis Leipoldt (28 Desember, 1880 — 12 April, 1947) was 'n bekende, vroeë Afrikaanse digter, geneesheer, plantkundige en joernalis. Hy wen die Hertzogprys in 1935 (saam met W.E.G. Louw en Totius). ...
  • Lady Anne Barnard (1750 - 1825)
    F, #20567, b. 8 December 1750, d. 6 May 1825 Last Edited=19 Feb 2011 Consanguinity Index=0.0% Lady Anne Lindsay was born on 8 December 1750.1 She was the daughter of James Lindsay, 5th Earl of Ba...

A project intended to record all the famous South Africans on our Geni tree: from writers, to statesmen & women, to sports heroes.

Hierdie Projek is bedoel om al die bekende Suid-Afrikaners aan te teken op ons Geni boom: van skrywers, tot staatshoofde en vroue, tot sport helde.

(1) How to Add a Profile to a Project Page

(2) Suggested Letter to Profile Managers of Profiles added to this Project

World Famous Notable Personalities

South African Famous and world known prophets

Special Mention: Geni's Founder: David Sacks

Trending Now: June's SA Olympic Team 2012 Project:

  • Cameron van der Burgh. icn_favorite.gif Men's 100m Breaststroke Gold Medalist 58.46 WR
  • Chad le Clos. icn_favorite.gif Men's 400m Butterfly Gold Medalist 1;52.96
  • James Thompson icn_favorite.gif one of the Lightweight Four Rowing team

Nobel Prize Winners

Still not on our tree - Anyone related to:

  • J. M. Coetzee, Literature, 2003
  • Desmond Tutu, Peace, 1984*
  • Albert Lutuli, Peace, 1960
  • Max Theiler, (1899-1972.) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for vaccine for Yellow Fever.
  • Allan McLeod Cormack (1924-1998.) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for x-ray tomography. Born and studied in SA. X-ray work started in Cape Town before emigration to USA. Co-inventor of the CT scanner.
  • Aaron Klug (1926-). Nobel prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his structural elucidation of biologically important nucleic acid-protein complexes. Born Lithuania, raised and educated in SA, moved to UK in 1950s to pursue research work.

Scientists, Environmentalists, Engineers & Inventors

  • Christiaan Barnard
  • Sydney Brenner (1927-) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002 for work in RNA biology. Born and educated in SA, moved to England to pursue research work
  • Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946) Architect commissioned by Cecil Rhodes to rebuild Groote Schuur hospital; designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria; South Africa House in London, new Bank of England in London. He wrote his reminiscences, 'Cecil Rhodes by His Architect'
  • Robert Broom (1866-1951). Medical doctor, paleontologist and paleoanthropologist. Studied mammal-like reptiles from the Karoo, then joined the Transvaal Museum and carried out excavations at Sterkfontein and other sites, finding 'Mrs Ples'. Proposer of the 'Australopithicine' family of early hominids.
  • Ferdinand Chauvier (-1985). Hydrualics engineer who emigrated to SA from the Belgian-Congo in 1951 and designed the pool Kreepy-Krauly.
  • Allan McLeod Cormack (1924-1998.) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for x-ray tomography. Born and studied in SA. X-ray work started in Cape Town before emigration to USA. Co-inventor of the CT scanner.
  • James Stevenson-Hamilton (1867-1957). Considered the father of the Kruger Park, through his efforts as administrator to establish and protect the initial park.
  • Eugene Marais (1871-1936). Naturalist
  • Aaron Klug (1926-). Nobel prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his structural elucidation of biologically important nucleic acid-protein complexes. Born Lithuania, raised and educated in SA, moved to UK in 1950s to pursue research work.
  • Eric Mowbray Merrifield (-1982). East London Harbour Engineer, and Aubrey Kuger (dates unknown) - designers of the dolos concrete blocks used to protect harbours and breakwaters from damage by ocean waves.
  • George Pratley (-1983). Inventor and engineer. Designer of pratley putty glue, that amongst other things was used to hold parts of spacecraft together in 1969 on the Apollo 11 first moon-landing mission.
  • Sir Arnold Theiler (1867-1936). Swiss-born father of veterinary science in South Africa. Developed vaccines for smallpox amongst Witwatersrand gold miners, and for rinderpest in cattle.
  • Max Theiler, (1899-1972.) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for vaccine for Yellow Fever.
  • Phillip Tobias (1925-) Paleoanthropologist

Military Heroes

Still not on our tree - Anyone related to:

  • Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor 1894-1921. WW1 fighter pilot, VC recipient.
  • Edwin Harris Dunning 1892-1917 - Squadron Commander, Royal Naval Air Service, first person to land an aircraft on a moving ship (a prototype aircraft carrier).
  • John Dering Nettleton 1917-1943. WW2 VC recipient for daylight bombing raid on the Augsburg diesel engine factory in 1942.
  • Gerard Ross Norton. 1915-2004. One of four SA recipients of the VC during WW2. Captured enemy machine guns when his platoon was pinned down in Italy in 1944
  • Marmaduke Thomas St. John (Pat) Pattle. 1914-1941. WW2 fighter pilot, probably the highest scoring allied fighter pilot of the war, officially credited with 34 enemy aircraft, unofficially credited with over 50 however this is unconfirmed due to the loss of 80 (RAF) squadron's records during the chaotic retreat from Greece, Pattle's own death over Piraeus, and the loss of many other squadron members.
  • Quentin George Murray Smythe. 1916-1997. One of four SA recipients of the VC during WW2. Awarded for capture of german strong points in the Western Desert. Farmer from Richmond and grandson of penultimate Prime Minister of Natal
  • Edwin Essery Swales 1915-1945. WW2 VC recipient. Bomber pilot who lost his life when he held his crippled Lancaster aircraft steady, first to complete his role as master pathfinder on a raid, then for the other seven crew members to safely bail out.
  • General Sir Hesperus Andrias (Pierre) van Ryneveld 1891-1972, WW1 pilot, pioneer of the north-south air route from Britain to South Africa, then set up the South African airforce in 1920, and was Chief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force, from 1933 to 1949, throughout WW2

Spotprent Tekenaars/Caricature Artists

Writers

Still not on our tree - Anyone related to:

  • Lionel Abrahams
  • Tatamkulu Afrika
  • Herman Charles Bosman, (1905–1951)
  • Breyten Breytenbach, (1939– )
  • Andre Brink, (1935– )
  • John Maxwell Coetzee, awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, (1940– )
  • Bryce Courtenay, (1933– )
  • Jeremy Cronin
  • Ahmed Essop, born in India, grew up in Johannesburg (1931– )
  • Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, (1862–1931)
  • Athol Fugard, (1932– )
  • Damon Galgut, (1963– )
  • Bessie Head, born in South Africa but usually seen as a Botswanan writer, (1937–1986)
  • Elsa Joubert (OIS), born as Elsabé Antoinette Murray on 19 October 1922 in Paarl, is an Afrikaans-speaking South African writer who rose to prominence with her novel ‘Die swerfjare van Poppie Nongena’
  • Douglas Livingstone, born in Malaysia, (1932–1996)
  • Chris Mann, (1949– )
  • Dalene Matthee, (1938–2005)
  • Zakes Mda, (1948– )
  • Es'kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele, (1919–2008 )
  • Oswald Mtshali, (1940– )
  • Alan Paton, (1903–1988)
  • Sol T. Plaatje, (1876–1932)
  • Laurens van der Post, (1906–1996)
  • Sipho Sepamla, (1932–2007 )
  • Mongane Wally Serote, (1944– )
  • Wilbur Smith, (1932– )
  • Christopher van Wyk, (1957– )
  • Lyall Watson, (1939–2008)

Artists

  • Thomas Baines, colonial painter and explorer (1820–1875)
  • David Goldblatt (1930 - ) Documentary Photographer
  • Peter Magubane (1932 - ) Photographer
  • Geerard Moerdijk (1890-1958) Architect, most famously, of the Voortrekker Monument
  • George Pemba, visual artist (1912–2001)
  • Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, artist (1886–1957)
  • Jan Gerard Sekoto, artist and musician (1913–1993)
  • Irma Stern, painter (1894–1966)
  • Vladimir Tretchikoff, painter (1913–2006)
  • Cecil Skotnes, painter (1926–2009)
  • Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro) (1958 -)

Entertainers

Still not on our tree - Anyone related to:

  • Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (1964 – 2004) Singer
  • Miriam Zenzile Makeba (1932 - 2008) Singer
  • Hugh Ramopolo Masekela (born April 4, 1939) Jazz Musician; Singer
  • Pieter Dirk Uys
  • Leon Schuster

Convicted Criminals

  • Daisy de Melker
  • Andre Stander 1946-1984. Audacious bank-robbing police officer from Kempton Park. Son of Frans Stander, a general in the department of correctional services.

Political Leaders

See also: Governors of the Cape Colony Project

Fighters for Freedom from Oppression / Peaceful Activists

  • Stephen Bantu Biko (1946 – 1997) Political Activist
  • Mohandas Gandhi
  • Koos de la Rey Boer War General
  • Ahmed Mohamed "Kathy" Kathrada (1929 - ) Political Activist
  • Helen Joseph (1905 – 1992) Teacher; Social Worker; Political Activist
  • Sailor Malan
  • Nelson Mandela (b. 1918); leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe 1961-90; President of South Africa 1994-99; Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1993
  • Fatima Meer (1928 – 2010) Political Activist
  • Beyers Naude
  • Hector Pieterson (1964 - 16 June 1976) Schoolboy shot dead In Soweto riots for protesting Bantu Education
  • Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu (1918 – 2011) Political Activist called 'the mother of the nation', Nurse
  • Robert Sobukwe(1924-1978) former political activist and founder of PAC
  • Walter Ulyate Sisulu (1912 – 2003) Political Activist
  • Albertina Sisulu, (1919-2011) Political Activist and wife of Walter Sisulu
  • Oliver Tambo (1917-1993) Political Activist, spent 30 years in exile
  • Archbishop Emeritus Mpilo Desmond Tutu (1931 -) Archbishop of CT; Humanitarian
  • Sheila Weinberg (1945 – 2004) Political Activist; Humanitarian

Sports Men and Women

Rugby

Golf

  • Gary Player
  • Ernie Els
  • Retief Goosen

Cricket

  • Ali Bacher
  • Allan Lamb South African born; South Africa; England
  • Tony Greig -South African born; England
  • Kepler Wessels - South African born. South Africa; Australia
  • Hansie Cronje
  • Greaeme Pollock
  • Basil D'Oliveira
  • Jacques Kallis
  • Allan Donnald
  • Gary Kirsten
  • Makhaya Ntin
  • Clive Rice
  • Danie Craven
  • Jake White

Swimming

GOLD medal London 2012 Natalie du Toit Women's 100m Butterfly - her 11th gold medal overall.

  • Ryk Neethling
  • Roland Mark Schoeman

Tennis

  • Eric Sturgess
  • Frew Macmillen
  • Andrew Patterson
  • Bob Hewitt
  • Cliff Drysdale
  • Brian Norton (1899)
  • Sheila Summers
  • Sandra Reynolds Price
  • Renee Schuurman
  • Raymond Moore
  • Russel Seymour
  • Johan Kriek
  • Pat Spence

Athletics

Wrestling

  • Johannes van der Walt (The Masked Wonder)

Conservationists

  • Ian Player (1927 – )
  • James Stevenson-Hamilton

Heroes and Heroines

  • Wolraad Woltemade
  • Emily Hobhouse

Mining Greats

Traders:

Chief Rabbis:

Titanic Survivors and Casualties with South African Connections

The following people who were on the Titanic when she sank on 15 April 1912 have connections to South Africa. Some are quite tenuous or distant!

Connect the People to the Places in 'Cuzzin Country'

Personal Stories

References

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