SOUTH AFRICAN INDEX
THE PEOPLE SHAPING SOUTH AFRICA
Menu
Directory

People

Browse published biographies by name, field and status.

Clear
45 published profiles
Business · Living

Brian Joffe

Entrepreneur and executive

South African entrepreneur who founded the business that became Bidvest in 1988 and led the group for decades.

Read profile →
Science · Historical

Chabani Manganyi

Psychologist, author and higher-education leader

South African psychologist, author and higher-education leader whose work examined Black identity, violence and the psychological effects of apartheid.

Read profile →
Arts · Living

D.B.Z. Ntuli

Author, translator and academic

South African isiZulu author, translator and emeritus professor of African languages.

Read profile →
Portrait of Desmond Tutu in Washington, DC, in 1999Photo: John Mathew Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
Public life · Historical

Desmond Tutu

Anglican bishop and peace advocate

South African Anglican archbishop, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Read profile →
Portrait of Edwin CameronPhoto: Braxton University · CC BY 3.0 · Source
Public life · Living

Edwin Cameron

Jurist and former Constitutional Court justice

South African jurist and former Constitutional Court justice whose public work has included human-rights and HIV advocacy.

Read profile →
Business · Living

GT Ferreira

Banker and entrepreneur

South African banker and entrepreneur who co-founded the business that became Rand Merchant Bank and later chaired FirstRand.

Read profile →
Hugh Masekela performing in 2013Photo: Michael Borkson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
Arts · Historical

Hugh Masekela

Musician, composer and singer

South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and singer whose career joined music with anti-apartheid cultural activism.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Johann Rupert

Business founder and chairman

South African businessman who founded Richemont in 1988 through the spin-off of the international assets of Rembrandt Group.

Read profile →
Portrait of John Kani in JohannesburgPhoto: Bobbyshabangu · CC0 1.0 · Source
Arts · Living

John Kani

Actor and playwright

South African actor and playwright associated with Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, The Island and the Market Theatre.

Read profile →
Science · Living

Karen Sliwa-Hahnle

Cardiologist and professor

South African-based cardiologist and director of the University of Cape Town’s Cape Heart Institute.

Read profile →
Science · Living

Keertan Dheda

Pulmonologist and professor

South African pulmonologist and tuberculosis researcher at the University of Cape Town.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Kim Reid

Technology entrepreneur

South African e-commerce entrepreneur identified by Takealot as its founder and long-serving chief executive.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Koos Bekker

Media and technology executive

South African media and technology executive who led the founding team of M-Net/MultiChoice and later transformed Naspers as chief executive.

Read profile →
Science · Living

Kubedi Mokhobo

Cardiologist and physician

South African cardiologist and medical pioneer whose career included clinical, academic and public-health leadership in southern Africa.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Laurie Chiappini

Retail founder

South African retailer who co-founded Mr Price with Stewart Cohen and opened the first Mr Price Factory Shop in 1985.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Laurie Dippenaar

Banker and entrepreneur

South African banker and entrepreneur who co-founded the business that became Rand Merchant Bank and later helped create FirstRand.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Michiel le Roux

Banker and company founder

South African banker who served as Capitec Bank’s founding chief executive and later as chairman.

Read profile →
Patrice Motsepe speaking at the World Economic Forum in 2009Photo: Monika Flueckiger / World Economic Forum · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
Business · Living

Patrice Motsepe

Business founder and football administrator

South African business founder and president of the Confederation of African Football.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Paul Harris

Banker and entrepreneur

South African banker and entrepreneur who co-founded the business that became Rand Merchant Bank and was part of FirstRand’s founding trio.

Read profile →
Sport · Living

Rassie Erasmus

Rugby coach and former player

South African rugby coach and former Springbok player who led the national team to the 2019 Rugby World Cup title.

Read profile →
Business · Historical

Raymond Ackerman

Retail founder

South African retailer who founded Pick n Pay with Wendy Ackerman in 1967 after acquiring four Cape Town stores.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Riaan Stassen

Banker and executive

South African banker who led Capitec Bank through much of its early expansion after its establishment in 2001.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Stephen Saad

Pharmaceutical founder and executive

South African pharmaceutical entrepreneur and founding shareholder of Aspen Pharmacare.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Stewart Cohen

Retail founder

South African retailer who co-founded Mr Price with Laurie Chiappini and opened the first Mr Price Factory Shop in 1985.

Read profile →
Trevor Noah at Web Summit Qatar in 2024Photo: Stephen McCarthy / Web Summit Qatar via Sportsfile · CC BY 2.0 · Source
Arts · Living

Trevor Noah

Comedian, broadcaster and author

South African comedian, author and former host of The Daily Show.

Read profile →
Science · Living

Tulio de Oliveira

Bioinformatician and professor

Bioinformatician and epidemic-response researcher who directs Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation.

Read profile →
Technology · Living

Vukosi Marivate

Computer scientist and professor

South African computer scientist whose research focuses on data science, machine learning and natural-language processing for African contexts.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Whitey Basson

Retail executive and company builder

South African retailer who led Shoprite from its eight-store 1979 base and built it through organic expansion and acquisitions.

Read profile →
Business · Living

Willem Roos

Insurance founder and executive

South African actuary and entrepreneur who co-founded OUTsurance, launched in February 1998.

Read profile →