26.2026° S, 28.0412° E

JOHANNESBURG

Most Famous People Born in Johannesburg, South Africa

Notable people
1,234
Peak decade
1980s
Median birth year
1967
Most distinctive
Golf 14.8×

A young city with an old sporting establishment. Johannesburg's notables are dominated by cricketers, golfers, and rugby players at concentrations that, given the city's size, look almost statistical — the legacy of an English-speaking sporting culture that organised itself around the gold rush of the 1880s. There is almost no pre-20th-century tail at all; the entire bench fits inside the lifetime of the city itself.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Johannesburg during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Click a decade to filter the list below. Peak: 1980s with 247 notable births.

What Johannesburg Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Cricket is Johannesburg's biggest profession — 13% of all notables (156).

Johannesburg over-indexes on golf14.8× the global rate.

Johannesburg under-produces politician — only 0.2× the global rate.

  1. Cricket156
  2. Player153
  3. Football110
  4. Actor65
  5. Sport50
  6. Politician32
  7. Golf31
  8. Singer28
  1. Golf3114.8×
  2. Cricket1569.9×
  3. Player1536.4×
  4. Swimmer254.2×
  5. Rower153.3×
  6. Boxer153.1×
  7. Sport502.4×
  8. Photographer132.2×
  1. Politician320.2×
  2. Writer280.7×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Johannesburg's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

19001925195019752000
  • Sports
  • Film & TV
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Science
  • Politics & Law
  • Other
All1,234
Sort By

1,234 notable people

0001 SINGER

Miriam Makeba

1932 - 2008

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0002 ACTOR

Troye Sivan

Born 1995

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0003 ATHLETIC

Oscar Pistorius

Born 1986

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0004 ACTOR

Basil Rathbone

1892 - 1967

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0005 POLITICIAN

F. W. de Klerk

Born 1936

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0006 BASKET

Steve Nash

Born 1974

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0007 FILM

Neill Blomkamp

Born 1979

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0008 MUSIC

Trevor Rabin

Born 1954

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0009 MUSIC

Dave Matthews

Born 1967

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0010 ACTOR

Sasha Pieterse

Born 1996

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0011 GOLF

Gary Player

Born 1935

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0012 GOLF

Ernie Els

Born 1969

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0013 COMEDIAN

Trevor Noah

Born 1984

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0014 FOOTBALL

Steven Pienaar

Born 1982

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0015 FILM

William Kentridge

Born 1955

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0016 ACTOR

Gavin Hood

Born 1963

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0017 MUSIC

Manfred Mann (musician)

Born 1940

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0018 ACTOR

Tammin Sursok

Born 1983

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0019 WRITER

Peter Abrahams

1919 - 2017

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0020 ACTOR

Sid James

1913 - 1976

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0021 ACTOR

Janet Suzman

Born 1939

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0022 FILM

Jonathan Liebesman

Born 1976

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0023 ACTOR

Cariba Heine

Born 1988

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0024 ACTOR

Louis Hayward

1909 - 1985

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0025 ACTIVIST

Ruth First

1925 - 1982

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0026 PHOTOGRAPHER

Kevin Carter

1960 - 1994

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0027 PHYSICIST

Allan McLeod Cormack

1924 - 1998

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0028 PHYSICIST

George F. R. Ellis

Born 1939

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0029 POLITICIAN

Helen Zille

Born 1951

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0030 ACTOR

Justine Waddell

Born 1976

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0031 ACTOR

Dean Geyer

Born 1986

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0032 GOLF

Justin Rose

Born 1980

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0033 MATHEMATICIAN

Peter Sarnak

Born 1953

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0034 NOVELIST

Bryce Courtenay

1933 - 2012

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0035 SPORT

Daryl Impey

Born 1984

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0036 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Max Gluckman

1911 - 1975

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0037 MATHEMATICIAN

Claude Chevalley

1909 - 1984

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0038 PLAYER

Kyle Edmund

Born 1995

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0039 FILM

Kevin Richardson (zookeeper)

Born 1974

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0040 POLITICIAN

Kgalema Motlanthe

Born 1949

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0041 FOOTBALL

Aaron Mokoena

Born 1980

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0042 PLAYER

Kevin Anderson (tennis)

Born 1986

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0043 WRITER

Lauren Beukes

Born 1976

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0044 SINGER

Gregory Alan Isakov

Born 1979

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0045 CINEMA

Dan Mindel

Born 1958

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0046 CRICKET

Sunette Viljoen

Born 1983

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0047 EXPLORER

Mike Horn

Born 1966

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0048 PHYSICIST

Stanley Mandelstam

1928 - 2016

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0049 ACTOR

Zakes Mokae

1934 - 2009

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0050 PHYSICIST

Neil Turok

Born 1958

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0051 FILM

Dean Israelite

Born 1984

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0052 FOOTBALL

Dimas (footballer)

Born 1969

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0053 PSYCHIATRIST

Joseph Wolpe

1915 - 1997

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0054 POLITICAL

Keorapetse Kgositsile

1938 - 2018

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0055 BIOLOGIST

Lewis Wolpert

Born 1929

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0056 SOCIOLOGIST

Stanley Cohen (sociologist)

1942 - 2013

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0057 PLAYER

Wayne Ferreira

Born 1971

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0058 ACTOR

Dena Kaplan

Born 1989

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0059 FILM

Wayne Kramer (filmmaker)

Born 1965

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0060 FOOTBALL

Panagiotis Retsos

Born 1998

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0061 MUSIC

Youth (musician)

Born 1960

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0062 SINGER

Watkin Tudor Jones

Born 1974

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0063 ACTOR

Jessica Marais

Born 1985

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0064 PRODUCER

Kevin Shirley

Born 1960

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0065 COMPOSER

Lebo M.

Born 1964

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0066 ACADEMIC

Ian Shapiro

Born 1956

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0067 ACTOR

Marius Weyers

Born 1945

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0068 WRESTLER

Adam Rose

Born 1979

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0069 GOLF

Charl Schwartzel

Born 1984

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0070 HOCKEY

Olaf Kölzig

Born 1970

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0071 SINGER

Miriam Stockley

Born 1962

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0072 GYMNAST

Beth Tweddle

Born 1985

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0073 JOURNALIST

John Charles Daly

1914 - 1991

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0074 PRODUCER

J.R. Rotem

Born 1975

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0075 POLITICIAN

Ronnie Kasrils

Born 1938

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0076 SINGER

Sathima Bea Benjamin

1936 - 2013

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0077 SINGER

John Kongos

Born 1945

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0078 FOOTBALL

Craig Johnston

Born 1960

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0079 COACH

Jake White

Born 1963

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0080 FOOTBALL

Deklan Wynne

Born 1996

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0081 TEACHER

Joseph H. H. Weiler

Born 1951

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0082 ACTOR

Nathalie Boltt

Born 1973

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0083 JUDGE

Albie Sachs

Born 1935

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0084 POET

Mongane Wally Serote

Born 1944

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0085 WRITER

Miriam Tlali

1933 - 2017

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0086 PHOTOGRAPHER

Ken Oosterbroek

1963 - 1994

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0087 PLAYER

Ilana Kloss

Born 1956

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0088 ENGINEER

Hugh Beaver

1890 - 1967

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0089 POET

Christopher Hope

Born 1944

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0090 SPORT

Robbie Hunter (cyclist)

Born 1977

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0091 FILM

Darrell Roodt

Born 1963

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0092 WRITER

Rian Malan

Born 1954

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0093 ACTOR

Shannon Kook

Born 1987

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0094 CRICKET

Graeme Smith

Born 1981

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0095 ARTIST

Candice Breitz

Born 1972

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0096 FOOTBALL

Steve Mokone

1932 - 2015

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0097 JOURNALIST

Matthew Parris

Born 1949

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0098 PLAYER

Butch James

Born 1979

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0099 PSYCHOLOGIST

Arnold Lazarus

1932 - 2013

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0100 ACTOR

Ariel Kaplan

Born 1994

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0101 FOOTBALL

Bradley Carnell

Born 1977

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0102 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Lyall Watson

1939 - 2008

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0103 CRICKET

Andrew Strauss

Born 1977

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0104 ACTIVIST

Zackie Achmat

Born 1962

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0105 FOOTBALL

Keagan Dolly

Born 1993

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0106 FOOTBALL

Lebo Mothiba

Born 1996

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0107 SCHOLAR

Njabulo Ndebele

Born 1947

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0108 SINGER

Johannes Kerkorrel

1960 - 2002

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0109 SWIMMER

Keri-anne Payne

Born 1987

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0110 SCREENWRITER

Dave Wittenberg

Born 1971

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0111 COMMISSIONER

Jackie Selebi

1950 - 2015

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0112 PHOTOGRAPHER

Jodi Bieber

Born 1967

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0113 WRITER

Richard Mason (novelist born 1977)

Born 1977

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0114 PSYCHIATRIST

Norman E. Rosenthal

Born 1950

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0115 WRITER

Shmuel Katz (politician)

1914 - 2008

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0116 MUSIC

Daisuke Ishiwatari

Born 1973

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0117 FOOTBALL

Matty Pattison

Born 1986

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0118 PLAYER

Cameron Norrie

Born 1995

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0119 FOOTBALL

John Thorrington

Born 1979

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0120 CRICKET

Matt Prior

Born 1982

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0121 WRITER

Gillian Slovo

Born 1952

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0122 NOVELIST

Harry Bloom

1913 - 1981

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0123 PHOTOGRAPHER

Peter Magubane

Born 1932

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0124 ACTOR

Caron Bernstein

Born 1970

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0125 ATHLETIC

Alistair Cragg

Born 1980

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0126 WRITER

Rennie Airth

Born 1935

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0127 CRICKET

Quinton de Kock

Born 1992

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0128 ACTOR

Peter Youngblood Hills

Born 1978

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0129 BASEBALL

Gift Ngoepe

Born 1990

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0130 OFFICER

Dudley Clarke

1899 - 1974

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0131 COMPOSER

Harry Rabinowitz

1916 - 2016

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0132 SINGER

Dilana

Born 1972

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0133 SCREENWRITER

Ian Dalrymple

1903 - 1989

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0134 WRITER

James H. McClure

1939 - 2006

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0135 ACTOR

Carl Beukes

Born 1976

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0136 PHYSICIST

Saul Teukolsky

Born 1947

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0137 AUTHOR

Dan Jacobson

1929 - 2014

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0138 PLAYER

Kitch Christie

1940 - 1998

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0139 WRITER

Beverley Naidoo

Born 1943

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0140 FOOTBALL

Ricardo Nunes

Born 1986

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0141 PLAYER

Wayne Odesnik

Born 1985

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0142 ADVOCATE

Thuli Madonsela

Born 1962

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0143 FOOTBALL

Andrew Surman

Born 1986

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0144 PLAYER

Neville Godwin

Born 1975

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0145 PLAYER

Mariaan de Swardt

Born 1971

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0146 FOOTBALL

Gordon Hodgson

1904 - 1951

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0147 FILM

Gary Barber

Born 1957

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0148 POET

Don Mattera

Born 1934

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0149 CHEMIST

John Bockris

1923 - 2013

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0150 POLITICIAN

Gill Marcus

Born 1949

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0151 PLAYER

Ian Evans (rugby player)

Born 1984

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0152 PSYCHOLOGIST

Les Greenberg

Born 1945

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0153 HISTORIAN

Antony Polonsky

Born 1940

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0154 WRITER

Deborah Levy

Born 1959

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0155 RABBI

Daniel Lapin

Born 1947

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0156 CRICKET

Craig Kieswetter

Born 1987

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0157 SPORT

Ryan Cox

1979 - 2007

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0158 FOOTBALL

Morgan Gould

Born 1983

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0159 FOOTBALL

Joel Untersee

Born 1994

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0160 PLAYER

Eric Sturgess

1920 - 2004

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0161 ASTRONAUT

Mike Melvill

Born 1940

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0162 PLAYER

John-Laffnie de Jager

Born 1973

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0163 ACTOR

William Modisane

1923 - 1986

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0164 PLAYER

Raymond Moore (tennis)

Born 1946

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0165 ANTHROPOLOGIST

Adam Kuper

Born 1941

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0166 PAINTER

Arthur Goldreich

1929 - 2011

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0167 ACTOR

Candîce Hillebrand

Born 1977

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0168 PHOTOGRAPHER

Norman Seeff

Born 1939

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0169 PHOTOGRAPHER

Guy Tillim

Born 1962

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0170 ARTIST

Kendell Geers

Born 1968

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0171 FOOTBALL

Kevin Harmse

Born 1984

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0172 LAWYER

Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe

1932 - 2017

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0173 PLAYER

Pieter Aldrich

Born 1965

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0174 PAINTER

Ernest Mancoba

1904 - 2002

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0175 PLAYER

Joannette Kruger

Born 1973

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0176 LAWYER

Arthur Chaskalson

1931 - 2012

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0177 MUSIC

St. Lucia (musician)

Born 1983

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0178 FOOTBALL

Lebogang Phiri

Born 1994

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0179 FOOTBALL

Marc Arnold

Born 1970

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0180 WRITER

Etienne van Heerden

Born 1954

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0181 KAYAK

Bridgitte Hartley

Born 1983

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0182 ARCHITECT

William Holford, Baron Holford

1907 - 1975

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0183 ECONOMIST

Harold Wolpe

1926 - 1996

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0184 POLITICIAN

Nicola Blackwood

Born 1979

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0185 SINGER

Nádine

Born 1982

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0186 LAWYER

Bob Hepple

1934 - 2015

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0187 SCIENTIST

Leo Kuper

1908 - 1994

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0188 PLAYER

Grant Stafford

Born 1971

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0189 PLAYER

Izak van der Merwe

Born 1984

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0190 BOTANIST

Peter Goldblatt

Born 1943

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0191 CRICKET

Grant Elliott

Born 1979

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0192 PLAYER

Abe Segal

1930 - 2016

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0193 CRICKET

Clive Rice

1949 - 2015

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0194 FOOTBALL

Stanton Fredericks

Born 1978

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0195 SWIMMER

Chad Ho

Born 1990

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0196 POLICE

Craig Williamson

Born 1949

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0197 CONSERVATIONIST

Lawrence Anthony

1950 - 2012

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0198 BOXER

Brian Mitchell (boxer)

Born 1961

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0199 WRITER

Lettie Viljoen

Born 1948

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0200 CRICKET

Ali Bacher

Born 1942

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0201 RUNNER

Mark Plaatjes

Born 1962

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0202 POLITICIAN

Cuthbert Alport

1912 - 1998

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0203 ATHLETIC

Clarence Munyai

Born 1998

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0204 MUSIC

Jonas Gwangwa

Born 1937

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0205 THEORIST

Ralph D. Stacey

Born 1942

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0206 BARRISTER

Sydney Kentridge

Born 1922

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0207 PLAYER

Byron Talbot

Born 1964

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0208 RACER

Paddy Driver

Born 1934

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0209 JOCKEY

Nora En Pure

Born 1990

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0210 LAWYER

James Kantor

1927 - 1974

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0211 ARCHITECT

Philip Dowson

1924 - 2014

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0212 AUTHOR

Alan Hirsch

Born 1959

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0213 FOOTBALL

Jomo Sono

Born 1955

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0214 POET

John Matshikiza

1954 - 2008

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0215 PLAYER

Perrie Mans

Born 1940

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0216 PLAYER

Brendan Venter

Born 1969

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0217 CRICKET

Johan Botha (cricketer)

Born 1982

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0218 ACTOR

Roy Hart

1926 - 1975

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0219 POET

Aryan Kaganof

Born 1964

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0220 PHYSICIAN

Priscilla Kincaid-Smith

1926 - 2015

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0221 MUSIC

Caiphus Semenya

Born 1939

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0222 PLAYER

André Pretorius

Born 1978

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0223 PLAYER

James Dalton (rugby player)

Born 1972

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0224 PSYCHOLOGIST

Stanley Rachman

Born 1934

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0225 FILM

John Trengove (director)

Born 1978

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0226 PLAYER

Ross Cronjé

Born 1989

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0227 FOOTBALL

Phakamani Mahlambi

Born 1997

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0228 FOOTBALL

Tebogo Langerman

Born 1986

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0229 ENTREPRENEUR

Ivan Glasenberg

Born 1957

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0230 ACTOR

Cliff Simon

Born 1962

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0231 AUTHOR

Jonny Steinberg

Born 1970

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0232 FILM

Antony Hickling

Born 1975

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0233 MATHEMATICIAN

Gilbert Baumslag

1933 - 2014

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0234 PIANIST

Steven De Groote

1953 - 1989

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0235 ROWER

Sizwe Ndlovu

Born 1980

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0236 SWIMMER

Grant Brits

Born 1987

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0237 SHOT PUTTER

Orazio Cremona

Born 1989

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0238 ASTRONOMER

Nigel Weiss

1936 - 2020

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0239 PAINTER

Christo Coetzee

1929 - 2000

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0240 SPORT

Ryan Gibbons (cyclist)

Born 1994

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0241 ACTOR

Bruce Lester

1912 - 2008

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0242 POLITICIAN

Emma Mashinini

1929 - 2017

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0243 FOOTBALL

Bradley Grobler

Born 1988

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0244 SCULPTOR

Isaac Witkin

1936 - 2006

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0245 PLAYER

Wikus van Heerden

Born 1979

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0246 RACER

Jon Ekerold

Born 1946

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0247 MODEL

Bokang Montjane

Born 1986

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0248 GOLF

Ashleigh Buhai

Born 1989

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0249 FOOTBALL

Davide Somma

Born 1985

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0250 ROWER

Matthew Brittain

Born 1987

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0251 MODEL

Tansey Coetzee

Born 1984

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0252 BALLET

Pearl Argyle

1910 - 1947

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0253 ARTIST

Deborah Bell

Born 1957

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0254 POLITICIAN

Ben Schoeman

1905 - 1986

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0255 ATHLETIC

Clinton Hill (athlete)

Born 1980

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0256 COMPOSER

Kippie Moeketsi

1925 - 1983

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0257 OPERA

Kobie van Rensburg

Born 1969

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0258 FILM

Pia Marais

Born 1971

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0259 POET

Charles Madge

1912 - 1996

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0260 SWIMMER

Calvyn Justus

Born 1995

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0261 FOOTBALL

Gadi Brumer

Born 1973

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0262 RACER

Steven Odendaal

Born 1993

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0263 BOXER

William Alexander Smith (boxer)

1904 - 1955

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0264 BOXER

Lawrence Stevens

1913 - 1989

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0265 POLITICAL

Patrick Duncan (anti-apartheid activist)

1918 - 1967

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0266 JESUIT

David Neuhaus

Born 1962

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0267 BALLET

Phyllis Spira

1943 - 2008

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0268 SINGER

Thandi Klaasen

1931 - 2017

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0269 PHOTOGRAPHER

Steve Bloom

Born 1953

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0270 PAINTER

Harold Rubin

1932 - 2020

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0271 ATHLETIC

Malcolm Spence (South African athlete)

1937 - 2010

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0272 PLAYER

Byron Bertram

Born 1952

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0273 CRICKET

Jade Dernbach

Born 1986

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0274 POET

Achmat Dangor

1948 - 2020

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0275 RABBI

Ephraim Mirvis

Born 1956

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0276 FOOTBALL

Brett Evans

Born 1982

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0277 ACTOR

Karin Evans

1907 - 2004

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0278 PLAYER

Charl McLeod

Born 1983

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0279 FOOTBALL

William Mokoena

Born 1973

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0280 FOOTBALL

Colin Viljoen

Born 1948

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0281 CRICKET

Kagiso Rabada

Born 1995

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0282 BALLET

Monica Mason

Born 1941

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0283 POET

Mzwakhe Mbuli

Born 1958

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0284 JOURNALIST

Percy Qoboza

1938 - 1988

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0285 PLAYER

Shauna Mullin

Born 1984

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0286 SCULPTOR

Jane Alexander (artist)

Born 1959

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0287 FILM

Mark Roper

Born 1958

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0288 ARCHAEOLOGY

Tessa Wheeler

1893 - 1936

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0289 SPORT

Robyn de Groot

Born 1982

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0290 ACTOR

Brandon Auret

Born 1972

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0291 RUNNER

Wally Hayward

1908 - 2006

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0292 FOOTBALL

Sérgio Marakis

Born 1991

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0293 PLAYER

Nick Abendanon

Born 1986

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0294 WRITER

Rita Tornborg

Born 1926

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0295 CRICKET

Neil McKenzie

Born 1975

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0296 PAINTER

Mbongeni Buthelezi

Born 1956

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0297 ATHLETE

Gillian Sanders

Born 1981

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0298 FENCER

Sven Schmid

Born 1978

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0299 PLAYER

Demetri Catrakilis

Born 1989

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0300 BUSINESS

Clive Calder

Born 1946

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