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

0601 DEAN

Meyer Feldberg

Born 1942

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0602 FILM

Abner Pastoll

Born 1982

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0603 ACTIVIST

Sheena Duncan

1932 - 2010

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0604 FOOTBALL

Marc van Heerden

Born 1988

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0605 CRICKET

Clive Eksteen

Born 1966

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0606 RUNNER

Jackie Gibson (athlete)

1914 - 1944

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0607 SINGER

Connell Cruise

Born 1987

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0608 JUDO

Matthew Jago

Born 1987

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0609 SINGER

Dennis Lotis

Born 1925

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0610 ENGINEER

Jonty Hurwitz

Born 1969

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0611 CRICKET

Sean Dickson (cricketer)

Born 1991

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0612 SPORT

Garen Bloch

1978 - 2018

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0613 LAWYER

Christian Dierks

Born 1960

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0614 BEAUTY PAGEANT

Liesl Laurie

Born 1991

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0615 CRICKET

Dooley Briscoe

1911 - 1941

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0616 HOCKEY

Bernadette Coston

Born 1989

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0617 FILM

Joe Vaz

Born 1972

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0618 JUDGE

David Ipp

1938 - 2020

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0619 MILITAR

Solly Shoke

Born 1956

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0620 PLAYER

Kyle Cooper (rugby player)

Born 1989

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0621 POLITICIAN

Derek Keys

1931 - 2018

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0622 PLAYER

Tyrone Holmes

Born 1986

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0623 ARTIST

Lennie Lee

Born 1958

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0624 JOURNALIST

Barry Ronge

-

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0625 PLAYER

Charlton Eagle

Born 1963

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0626 SPORT

Greg Joseph

Born 1994

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0627 WRITER

Andrew Brel

Born 1960

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0628 ACTOR

Jack Klaff

Born 1951

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0629 PLAYER

Jarrod Saffy

Born 1984

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0630 WRITER

Dee Shulman

Born 1957

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0631 MODEL

Lauren Mellor

Born 1985

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0632 CRICKET

Brenda Williams

Born 1949

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0633 AUTHOR

Roger Smith (Autor)

Born 1960

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0634 SINGER

Eddie Eckstein

Born 1939

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0635 SWIMMER

Katheryn Meaklim

Born 1989

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0636 SPORT

Erica Green (cyclist)

Born 1970

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0637 PLAYER

Paul Johnstone (rugby player)

1930 - 1996

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0638 PLAYER

Johnny Buchler

1930 - 2017

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0639 GOLF

Clinton Whitelaw

Born 1970

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0640 CRICKET

Rodney Ontong

Born 1955

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0641 SWIMMER

Graeme Moore

Born 1989

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0642 DESIGNER

Julia Anastasopoulos

Born 1983

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0643 PLAYER

Tito Lupini

Born 1955

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0644 CARDIOLOGIST

John Brereton Barlow

1924 - 2008

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0645 ATHLETE

Jeanni Seymour

Born 1992

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0646 WRITER

Brian Bunting

1920 - 2008

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0647 SWIMMER

Romina Armellini

Born 1984

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0648 POLITICIAN

Ian Ollis

Born 1970

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0649 ENGINEER

Stephen Salter

Born 1938

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0650 GOLF

Bobby Lincoln

Born 1953

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0651 CRICKET

Russell Endean

1924 - 2003

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0652 PLAYER

Alwyn Hollenbach

Born 1985

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0653 CINEMA

Michael Hammon

Born 1955

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0654 PLAYER

Kevin Moir

Born 1961

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0655 PALAEONTOLOGIST

H. Basil S. Cooke

1915 - 2018

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0656 CRICKET

Raisibe Ntozakhe

Born 1996

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0657 HOCKEY

Andrew Cronje

Born 1984

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0658 CLERIC

Cecil Pugh

1898 - 1941

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0659 PLAYER

Maks van Dyk

Born 1992

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0660 FOOTBALL

Chad Harpur

Born 1982

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0661 SPORT

Colleen Piketh

Born 1972

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0662 ACTOR

Andre Jacobs

Born 1961

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0663 ACTOR

Lavinia Jones

Born 1973

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0664 PHOTOGRAPHER

Michael Meyersfeld

Born 1940

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0665 CRICKET

Fred Susskind

1891 - 1957

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0666 NOVELIST

Danila Botha

Born 1982

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0667 FOOTBALL

Mark Haskins (footballer)

Born 1981

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0668 JOURNALIST

Paul Trewhela

Born 1941

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0669 BLOGGER

Jeremy Goldkorn

-

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0670 PLAYER

Lucas Sithole (tennis)

Born 1986

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0671 ACTOR

Ashley Callie

1976 - 2008

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0672 LIBRARIAN

Verner Clapp

1901 - 1972

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0673 ARTIST

Marco Cianfanelli

Born 1970

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0674 PLAYER

Joseph Rahme

Born 1971

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0675 POLITICIAN

Popo Molefe

Born 1952

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0676 CRICKET

Michael Melle

1930 - 2003

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0677 BOXING

Stanley Christodoulou

Born 1944

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0678 MILITAR

Hugo Biermann

1916 - 2012

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0679 CHOREOGRAPHER

Peter Goss

Born 1946

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0680 PLAYER

Kayle van Zyl

Born 1991

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0681 CRICKET

Guy Blaikie

1897 - 1968

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0682 WRESTLER

Rein Ozoline

Born 1967

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0683 CRICKET

Cyril Vincent

1902 - 1968

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0684 COLLECTOR

Leslie Sacks

1952 - 2013

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0685 CRICKET

Cyril Mitchley

Born 1938

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0686 PLAYER

Guy Cronjé

Born 1989

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0687 CRICKET

Paul Winslow (cricketer)

1929 - 2011

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0688 FOOTBALL

Mzikayise Mashaba

Born 1989

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0689 PRINTMAKER

Rosemary Feit Covey

Born 1954

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0690 FOOTBALL

Reagan Noble

Born 1983

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0691 MILITAR

Oswald Reid

1893 - 1920

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0692 PLAYER

Frik Kirsten

Born 1988

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0693 ARTIST

Barbara Pike

Born 1933

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0694 RABBI

Sara Hurwitz

-

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0695 SWIMMER

William Diering

Born 1986

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0696 COMPOSER

Graham Newcater

Born 1941

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0697 PLAYER

Jannes Kirsten

Born 1993

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0698 ACTOR

Carel Trichardt

Born 1939

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0699 CRICKET

George Fullerton (cricketer)

1922 - 2002

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0700 GOLF

Wallie Coetsee

Born 1972

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0701 WRITER

Tim Hurson

Born 1946

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0702 HOCKEY

Gregg Clark

Born 1971

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0703 SCREENWRITER

Keith D. Black

Born 1980

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0704 FOOTBALL

Reyaad Pieterse

Born 1992

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0705 LAWYER

Joel Carlson

1926 - 2001

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0706 EDUCATOR

Maxine Fassberg

Born 1953

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0707 SINGER

Anke Pietrangeli

Born 1982

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0708 PLAYER

Robert Kruger

Born 1988

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0709 CREATOR

Jonathan Klein (Getty Images)

Born 1960

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0710 HOCKEY

Rhett Halkett

Born 1986

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0711 RACING

Graham Duxbury

Born 1954

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0712 ACTOR

Colin Moss

Born 1976

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0713 SWIMMER

Jenny-Lyn Anderson

Born 1992

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0714 PLAYER

Justin Downey

Born 1986

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0715 CRICKET

Odine Kirsten

Born 1994

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0716 ACADEMIC

Taddy Blecher

Born 1967

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0717 SWIMMER

Tatjana Schoenmaker

Born 1997

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0718 FOOTBALL

Sandy Kennon

1933 - 2015

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0719 COMPUTER SCIENTIST

David Wolpert

-

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0720 WRESTLER

Jan Wilkens

Born 1931

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0721 WRITER

Angela Makholwa

-

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0722 BOXER

Piet van Vuuren

1931 - 2008

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0723 GOLF

Bradford Vaughan

Born 1975

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0724 CRICKET

Jean McNaughton

Born 1936

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0725 SWIMMER

Ralph Goveia

Born 1996

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0726 BOTANIST

Heidi Marguerite Anderson

Born 1944

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0727 MILITAR

Henry van Straubenzee

1914 - 2002

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0728 POLITICIAN

Mohammed Valli Moosa

Born 1957

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0729 PHYSICIAN

Ivan Toms

1952 - 2008

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0730 GOLF

Ashley Roestoff

Born 1963

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0731 PLAYER

Kurt Haupt

Born 1989

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0732 GOLF

Richard Kaplan

Born 1962

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0733 CRICKET

Eric Marx

1895 - 1974

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0734 HARPSICHORDIST

Elizabeth de la Porte

1941 - 2020

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0735 GOLF

Grant Muller

Born 1970

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0736 ATHLETIC

Ilse Hayes

Born 1985

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0737 PLAYER

Okey Geffin

1921 - 2004

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0738 PLAYER

Lu-Wayne Botes

Born 1983

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0739 POLITISCH

Ellen Hellmann

1908 - 1982

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0740 SKATER

Jenna-Anne Buys

Born 1985

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0741 COMMANDER

Refiloe Johannes Mudimu

Born 1954

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0742 PLAYER

Michael Horak

Born 1977

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0743 FILM

Ntshavheni Wa Luruli

Born 1955

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0744 WRITER

Michael Arnheim

Born 1944

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0745 COMPOSER

Peter Traub

Born 1974

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0746 NAVY

Dick Lord

1936 - 2011

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0747 PIANIST

Andreas Kern (Pianist)

Born 1975

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0748 CRICKET

Athol Rowan

1921 - 1998

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0749 CRICKET

Billy Stelling

Born 1969

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0750 OFFICER

Godfrey Ngwenya

Born 1950

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0751 CRICKET

Lara Goodall

Born 1996

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0752 ACADEMIC

Jill Adler

Born 1952

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0753 CRICKET

Kirstie Thomson

Born 1988

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0754 ACTIVIST

Vic Finkelstein

1938 - 2011

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0755 PRIEST

Cyril Axelrod

Born 1942

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0756 HOCKEY

Thornton McDade

Born 1980

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0757 PAINTER

Audrey Cruddas

1912 - 1979

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0758 FOOTBALL

Andrew Parkinson (soccer)

Born 1959

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0759 FOOTBALL

Cliff Durandt

1940 - 2002

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0760 ECOLOGIST

Jack Suchet

1908 - 2001

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0761 ASTRONOMER

William Stephen Finsen

1905 - 1979

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0762 ACTOR

Siegfried Mynhardt

1906 - 1996

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0763 FILM

Tony Dean Smith

Born 1977

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0764 ACTOR

Jennifer Nash

-

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0765 CRICKET

Chris Cooke

Born 1986

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0766 GOLF

Allan Henning

Born 1944

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0767 POLITICIAN

Jessie Duarte

Born 1953

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0768 PLAYER

Ryan Louwrens

Born 1991

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0769 SWIMMER

Charl Crous

Born 1990

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0770 DRUMMER

Dylan van der Schyff

Born 1970

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0771 PLAYER

Martin Pelser

1934 - 2018

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0772 SCULPTOR

Jennifer Maestre

Born 1959

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0773 FOOTBALL

Graeme Brown (footballer)

Born 1980

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0774 SPORT

Calvin Beneke

Born 1991

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0775 SPORT

Rodney Green (cyclist)

Born 1974

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0776 PLAYER

Michael Coetzee

Born 1979

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0777 ACTOR

Katharine Blake (actress)

1921 - 1991

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0778 PLAYER

Ben Venter

Born 1987

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0779 CRICKET

Alfred Cooper (cricketer)

1893 - 1963

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0780 ROWER

Kate Christowitz

Born 1991

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0781 LAWYER

Harold Hanson

1904 - 1973

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0782 CRICKET

Bradley Barnes

Born 1988

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0783 RUNNER

Terry Sullivan (athlete)

Born 1935

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0784 ACTOR

Frank Opperman

Born 1960

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0785 CRICKET

Francois Weideman

1960 - 2001

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0786 FOOTBALL

Patrick Kelly (footballer)

1918 - 1985

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0787 FOOTBALL

Dudley Milligan

1916 - 1971

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0788 CRICKET

Devon Conway

Born 1991

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0789 PLAYER

Kynan Griffin

-

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0790 CRICKET

Kenneth Walter

1939 - 2003

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0791 OPHTHALMOLOGIST

Selig Percy Amoils

Born 1933

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0792 ACTOR

Matthew Stewardson

1974 - 2010

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0793 BOTANIST

Sandra Margaret Burrows

Born 1959

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0794 FILM

Marc James Roels

Born 1978

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0795 PHOTOGRAPHER

Vera Elkan

1908 - 2008

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0796 SPORT

Thomas Yule

Born 1976

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0797 FILM

Cedric Sundstrom

-

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0798 POLITICIAN

Joyce Piliso-Seroke

Born 1933

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0799 MILITAR

Dennis Fox

1920 - 1993

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0800 FOOTBALL

Brad Phillips (soccer)

Born 1987

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0801 JOURNALIST

Peter David (journalist)

1951 - 2012

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0802 ACTOR

Tinarie Van Wyk-Loots

Born 1980

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0803 FIGHTER PILOT

Neville McGarr

1917 - 1944

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0804 CRICKET

Chris Goldie

Born 1960

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0805 CRICKET

Owen Wynne (cricketer)

1919 - 1975

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0806 CRICKET

Stephen Moore (cricketer)

Born 1980

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0807 PLAYER

Ettiene Smit

Born 1974

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0808 SCULPTOR

Trevor Gould

Born 1951

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0809 CRICKET

Conor McKerr

Born 1998

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0810 POLITICIAN

Penuell Maduna

Born 1952

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0811 FILM

Mark Vicente

Born 1965

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0812 ADVENTURER

Ness Knight

Born 1985

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0813 CRICKET

Ben Hutton

Born 1977

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0814 PLAYER

Sebastian de Chaves

Born 1990

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0815 PLAYER

Jean Erasmus

Born 1991

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0816 PLAYER

Ivann Espag

Born 1987

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0817 PLAYER

Richard Lawson (rugby union)

Born 1986

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0818 PLAYER

Roland Bernard (rugby à XV)

Born 1981

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0819 ACTOR

Clive Scott (actor)

Born 1937

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0820 ACTIVIST

Sarah Carneson

1916 - 2015

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0821 CRICKET

Christian Begg

Born 1986

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0822 FOOTBALL

Luca Bellisomo

Born 1986

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0823 SPORT

Pieter Seyffert

Born 1986

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0824 CRICKET

Stephen Eskinazi

Born 1994

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0825 FUTURIST

Graeme Codrington

Born 1970

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0826 SINGER

Cofield Mundi

-

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0827 EDUCATOR

Kenneth Segal

Born 1959

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0828 HOCKEY

Kate Hector

Born 1981

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0829 WIDERSTAND

John Gluck

1906 - 1949

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0830 CRICKET

Luc Durandt

Born 1989

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0831 PROFESSOR

Sandra Fredman

-

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0832 DIPLOMAT

Abdul Minty

Born 1941

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0833 PLAYER

Ian Froman

Born 1937

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0834 FOOTBALL

Victor Gomes

Born 1982

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0835 FOOTBALL

Miguel Timm

Born 1992

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0836 JOURNALIST

Ashley Rindsberg

Born 1981

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0837 CONGRESS

Renfrew Christie

Born 1949

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0838 PLAYER

Charles Honey

Born 1962

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0839 CRICKET

Jonathan Garth

Born 1965

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0840 SECRETARY

Gus Saron

1905 - 1989

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0841 FOOTBALL

Mike Connell (soccer)

Born 1956

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0842 BUSINESS

Kerr Neilson

Born 1949

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0843 PLAYWRIGHT

Lee Harris (South African artist)

Born 1936

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0844 GOLF

Laurette Maritz

Born 1964

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0845 PSYCHOLOGIST

Andrew Colman

Born 1944

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0846 CRICKET

Chad Barrett (cricketer)

Born 1989

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0847 RAPPER

Shane Eagle

Born 1996

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0848 ZOOLOGIST

Lindy Rodwell

Born 1962

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0849 REPRESENTATIVE

Jeremiah Kingsley Mamabolo

Born 1955

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0850 FOOTBALL

Richard Farrer

Born 1971

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0851 PLAYER

Nick de Jager

Born 1990

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0852 MUSIC

Deep Fried Man

Born 1981

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0853 SPORT

Johannes Sauer

Born 1968

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0854 PLAYER

Cyle Brink

Born 1994

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0855 FOOTBALL

Giulio Giuricich

Born 1990

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0856 FOOTBALL

Roger Da Costa

Born 1986

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0857 PLAYER

Nico Breedt

Born 1979

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0858 SPORT

Bruce Dalling

1938 - 2008

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0859 MANAGER

Jacqueline Hunt

Born 1968

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0860 ACTOR

Angelique Gerber

Born 1983

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0861 RAPPER

Zee (musician)

Born 1991

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0862 POET

Kelwyn Sole

Born 1951

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0863 AUTHOR

Louise Prinsloo

Born 1946

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0864 PHOTOGRAPHER

Steven Bosch

Born 1978

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0865 PLAYER

Mark Swanepoel

Born 1990

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0866 CRICKET

Tumi Sekhukhune

Born 1998

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0867 PSYCHIATRIST

Aubrey Levin

Born 1938

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0868 ATHLETIC

Marcel Winkler

Born 1970

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0869 FOOTBALL

Warren Bishop

Born 1983

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0870 CRICKET

Ricardo Vasconcelos

Born 1997

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0871 POLITICIAN

Alfred Ernest Trollip

1895 - 1972

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0872 ACTOR

Shoki Mokgapa

1984 - 2018

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0873 SPORT

Jean Greeff

Born 1990

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0874 CRICKET

Dylan Jennings

Born 1979

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0875 SPORT

Kent Main

Born 1996

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0876 RACER

Ronan Quarmby

Born 1991

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0877 GOLF

Tienie Britz

Born 1945

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0878 ARTIST

Ralph Lazar

Born 1967

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0879 SINGER

Filipa Carmo da Silva

Born 1995

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0880 JOURNALIST

Jenni Russell

Born 1960

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0881 BUSINESS

Gil Oved

Born 1975

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0882 HOCKEY

Vuyisanani Mangisa

Born 1987

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0883 PAINTER

Conor Mccreedy

Born 1987

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0884 CAMPAIGN

Edgar O. Amm

1898 - 1953

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0885 DIPLOMAT

Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko

Born 1956

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0886 MILITAR

Fabian Msimang

Born 1960

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0887 PLAYER

Barry Moir

-

Preview
0888 SWIMMER

Michael Meyer (swimmer)

Born 1992

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0889 BUSINESS

Simon Walker (business)

Born 1953

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0890 CRICKET

Jono McLean

Born 1980

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0891 SCULPTOR

Michael Berger (Künstler)

Born 1966

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0892 FOOTBALL

Martin Cohen (soccer)

Born 1952

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0893 BUSINESS

Vivian Imerman

Born 1955

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0894 ACTOR

Yvonne Severn

1927 - 2006

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0895 ENTREPRENEUR

Harold Ruttenberg

1942 - 2005

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0896 MUSIC

Frank Fenter

1936 - 1983

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0897 LIEUTENANT

Miles Hunt-Davis

1938 - 2018

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0898 CRICKET

James Cameron (South African cricketer)

Born 1979

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0899 ADMINISTRATOR

Arthur Benson

1907 - 1987

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0900 BUSINESS

Avrom Lasarow

Born 1976

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