100 Notable alumni of
University of Cape Town
Updated:
The University of Cape Town is 294th in the world, 3rd in Africa, and 1st in South Africa by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Cape Town sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Richard E. Grant
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorpaleontologistexplorerstage actor
- Biography
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Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy Withnail and I (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Marielle Heller's drama film Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), winning various awards including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He also received Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
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Roger Ebert
- Occupations
- reporterscreenwriterwritertelevision presenterfilm critic
- Biography
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Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He was the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Ebert was known for his intimate, Midwestern writing style and critical views informed by values of populism and humanism. Writing in a prose style intended to be entertaining and direct, he made sophisticated cinematic and analytical ideas more accessible to non-specialist audiences. Ebert endorsed foreign and independent films he believed would be appreciated by mainstream viewers, championing filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Errol Morris and Spike Lee, as well as Martin Scorsese, whose first published review he wrote. In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times said Ebert "was without question the nation's most prominent and influential film critic," and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called him "the best-known film critic in America." Per The New York Times, "The force and grace of his opinions propelled film criticism into the mainstream of American culture. Not only did he advise moviegoers about what to see, but also how to think about what they saw."
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Chelsy Davy
- Occupations
- lawyerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Chelsy Yvonne Davy is a Zimbabwean businesswoman. She is the owner and founder of the jewellery brand Aya and the travel agency Aya Africa. She is known for being the ex-girlfriend of Prince Harry.
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Roger Whittaker
- Occupations
- recording artistmusiciansingercomposerwhistle artist
- Biography
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Roger Henry Brough Whittaker was a Kenyan-born British singer-songwriter and musician. His music is an eclectic mixture of folk music and popular songs, the latter variously in a crooning or in a schlager style. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability as well as his guitar skills.
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Christiaan Barnard
- Occupations
- writersurgeonphysician
- Biography
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Christiaan Neethling Barnard was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation. On 3 December 1967, Barnard transplanted the heart of accident victim Denise Darvall into the chest of 54-year-old Louis Washkansky, who regained full consciousness and was able to talk easily with his wife, before dying 18 days later of pneumonia, largely brought on by the anti-rejection drugs that suppressed his immune system. Barnard had told Mr. and Mrs. Washkansky that the operation had an 80% chance of success, an assessment which has been criticised as misleading. Barnard's second transplant patient, Philip Blaiberg, whose operation was performed at the beginning of 1968, returned home from the hospital and lived for a year and a half.
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J. M. Coetzee
- Occupations
- translatorscreenwriterprose writerpoetuniversity teacher
- Biography
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John Maxwell Coetzee FRSL OMG is a South African and Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in the English language. He has won the Booker Prize (twice), the CNA Literary Award (thrice), the Jerusalem Prize, the Prix Femina étranger, and The Irish Times International Fiction Prize, and holds a number of other awards and honorary doctorates.
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Nigel Hawthorne
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorstage actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne was a British actor. He is known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role, he won four BAFTA TV Awards for Best Light Entertainment Performance.
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Mark Shuttleworth
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- 1992-1995 graduated with Bachelor of Science in information technology and finance
- Occupations
- astronautsoftware developerengineerinventorprivate space traveler
- Biography
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Mark Richard Shuttleworth is a South African and British entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Canonical, the company behind the development of the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. In 2002, Shuttleworth became the first African to travel to space, doing so as a space tourist. He lives on the Isle of Man and holds dual citizenship from South Africa and the United Kingdom. According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020, Shuttleworth is worth an estimated £500 million.
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Tim Jenkin
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Timothy Peter Jenkin is a South African writer, anti-apartheid activist and former political prisoner. He is best known for his 1979 escape from Pretoria Local Prison (part of the Pretoria Central Prison complex), along with Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris.
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Richard Stanley
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorfilm producer
- Biography
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Richard Stanley is a South African filmmaker, known for his work in the horror genre. He began his career making short films and music videos, and subsequently directed the feature films Hardware and Dust Devil (1992). He was the original director of The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), but was fired early into principal photography due to creative differences, an episode recounted in the 2014 documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau. In 2019, he returned to feature films after more than twenty years, directing the H. P. Lovecraft adaptation Color Out of Space.
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Zindzi Mandela
- Occupations
- diplomatactivistpoet
- Biography
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Zindziswa "Zindzi" Mandela, also known as Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, was a South African diplomat and poet, and the daughter of anti-apartheid activists and politicians Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Zindzi was the youngest and third of Nelson Mandela's three daughters, including sister Zenani Mandela.
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Denis Goldberg
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- Studied in 1950
- Occupations
- writerpoliticianhuman rights activist
- Biography
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Denis Theodore Goldberg was a South African social campaigner who was active in the struggle against apartheid. He was accused No. 3 in the Rivonia Trial, alongside the better-known Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, where he was also the youngest of the defendants. He was imprisoned for 22 years, along with other key members of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. After his release in 1985 he continued to campaign against apartheid from his base in London with his family, until the apartheid system was fully abolished with the 1994 election. He returned to South Africa in 2002 and founded the non-profit Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust in 2015. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2017, and died in Cape Town on 29 April 2020.
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Marais Viljoen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Marais Viljoen, DMS was the last ceremonial State President of South Africa from 4 June 1979 until 3 September 1984. Viljoen became the last of the ceremonial presidents of South Africa when he was succeeded in 1984 by Prime Minister P. W. Botha, who combined the offices into an executive state presidency.
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Eddie Kramer
- Occupations
- record produceraudio engineercomposerengineer
- Biography
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Edwin H. Kramer is a South African-born recording producer and engineer. He has collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, the Kinks, Kiss, John Mellencamp, GRODD and Carlos Santana, as well as records for other well-known artists in various genres.
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Donald Woods
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Donald James Woods CBE was a South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist. As editor of the Daily Dispatch, he was known for befriending fellow activist Steve Biko, who was killed by police after being detained by the South African government. Woods continued his campaign against apartheid in London, and in 1978 became the first private citizen to address the United Nations Security Council.
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Marlene Dumas
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- 1972-1975 studied art
- Occupations
- draftspersonvisual artistartistpainterconceptual artist
- Biography
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Marlene Dumas is a South African artist and painter based in the Netherlands.
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Pretty Yende
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Pretty Yende OIS is a South African operatic coloratura soprano. She has performed leading roles at opera houses internationally, including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. She performed at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
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Breyten Breytenbach
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- Studied fine art
- Occupations
- essayistwriterpolitical activistlithographervisual artist
- Biography
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Breyten Breytenbach was a South African writer, poet, and painter. He became internationally well-known as a dissident poet and vocal critic of South Africa under apartheid, and as a political prisoner of the National Party–led South African Government. He was also known as a founding member of the Sestigers, a dissident literary movement, and was one of the most important poets in Afrikaans literature.
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Galt MacDermot
- Occupations
- film score composercomposersongwriterpianist
- Biography
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Arthur Terence Galt MacDermot was a Canadian-American composer, pianist and writer of musical theater. He won a Grammy Award for the song "African Waltz" in 1960. His most-successful musicals were Hair (1967; its cast album also won a Grammy) and Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971). MacDermot also composed music for film soundtracks, jazz and funk albums, and classical music, and his music has been sampled in hit hip-hop songs and albums. He is best known for his work on Hair, which produced three number-one singles in 1969: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "Good Morning Starshine", and the title song "Hair".
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Mamphela Ramphele
- Occupations
- writerpolitician
- Biography
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Mamphela Aletta Ramphele is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and businesswoman. She was a partner of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, with whom she had two children. She is a former vice-chancellor at the University of Cape Town and a former managing director at the World Bank. Ramphele founded the political party Agang South Africa in February 2013 but withdrew from politics in July 2014. Since 2018, she has been the co-president of the Club of Rome.
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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is a South African politician and former United Nations official, who served as the Executive Director of UN Women with the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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Aaron Klug
- Occupations
- molecular biologistbiochemistuniversity teacherbiophysicistchemist
- Biography
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Sir Aaron Klug was a British biophysicist and chemist. He was a winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his structural elucidation of biologically important nucleic acid-protein complexes.
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Lewis Pugh
- Occupations
- swimmerexplorerlawyer
- Biography
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Lewis William Gordon Pugh, OIG, is a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. Dubbed the "Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming", he is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, and he frequently swims in vulnerable ecosystems to draw attention to their plight.
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Roelof Botha
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Roelof Frederik Botha is a South African-American actuary, venture capitalist and company director.
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John Cranko
- Occupations
- choreographerballet dancerballet master
- Biography
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John Cyril Cranko was a South African ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet.
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Natalie du Toit
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Natalie du Toit OIG MBE is a South African swimmer. She is best known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the other being table tennis player Natalia Partyka. Du Toit became the third amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics, where she placed 16th in the 10 km swim.
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Tim Noakes
- Occupations
- sports scientistresearcher
- Biography
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Timothy David Noakes is a South African scientist, and an emeritus professor in the Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the University of Cape Town.
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Damon Galgut
- Occupations
- writernovelist
- Biography
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Damon Galgut is a South African novelist and playwright. He was awarded the 2021 Booker Prize for his novel The Promise, having previously been shortlisted for the award in 2003 and 2010.
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Max Theiler
- Occupations
- virologistphysicianchemist
- Biography
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Max Theiler was a South African-American virologist and physician. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever in 1937, becoming the first African-born Nobel laureate.
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Theaster Gates
- Occupations
- performance artistartistceramicist
- Biography
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Theaster Gates is an American social practice installation artist and a professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he still lives and works.
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Israel Kirzner
- Occupations
- economistuniversity teacherwriterrabbiethicist
- Biography
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Israel Meir Kirzner is a British-born American economist, historian, rabbi, and Talmudist closely identified with the Austrian School.
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George F. R. Ellis
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- 1958-1961 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- astronomeruniversity teacherphysicistnon-fiction writermathematician
- Biography
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George Francis Rayner Ellis, FRS, Hon. FRSSAf, is the emeritus distinguished professor of complex systems in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He co-authored The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time with University of Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking, published in 1973, and is considered one of the world's leading theorists in cosmology. From 1989 to 1992 he served as president of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation. He is a past president of the International Society for Science and Religion. He is an A-rated researcher with the NRF.
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Albie Sachs
- Occupations
- university teacherwriterlawyerjudge
- Biography
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Albert "Albie" Louis Sachs OLS is a South African lawyer, activist, writer, and former judge appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela.
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Hlumelo Biko
- Occupations
- investment bankerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Hlumelo Biko is a South African businessman and investment banker. He is the son of Steve Biko and Mamphela Ramphele.
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Allan McLeod Cormack
- Occupations
- physicistresearcherbiophysicist
- Biography
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Allan MacLeod Cormack was a South African American physicist and Professor of Physics at Tufts University who won the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (along with Godfrey Hounsfield) for his work on X-ray computed tomography (CT), a significant and unusual achievement since Cormack did not hold a doctoral degree in any scientific field.
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Lauren Beukes
- Occupations
- film directorjournalistscience fiction writerauthorwriter
- Biography
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Lauren Beukes is a South African novelist, short story writer, journalist and television scriptwriter.
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Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh
- Occupations
- musician
- Biography
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Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh is a South African University lecturer, Podcaster, author, musician and activist. Mpofu-Walsh was president of the University of Cape Town Students' Representative Council in 2010. He holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford. In September 2017, Mpofu-Walsh published his debut book, Democracy and Delusion: 10 Myths in South African Politics. Along with the book, he released his debut rap album, also titled Democracy and Delusion.
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Andrew Feinstein
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoliticianwriter
- Biography
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Andrew Josef Feinstein is a South African former politician, activist, filmmaker, campaigner and author, now based in London, who specialises in the investigation of the arms trade and the corruption that accompanies it. He is Executive Director of a small non-profit, Shadow World Investigations, and serves on the board of Declassified UK. The son of a Holocaust survivor, Feinstein was the first MP to introduce a motion on the Holocaust in the South African parliament.
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Raymond Ackerman
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- Graduated with Bachelor of Commerce in accounting
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Raymond Ackerman GCOB was a South African businessman, who purchased the Pick 'n Pay supermarket group from its founder. He purchased four stores from Jack Goldin in the 1960s. Raymond Ackerman was chairman until he stepped down in 2010.
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Golda Schultz
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
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Golda Schultz is a South African soprano.
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Henry Markram
- Occupations
- neurologistuniversity teacherneuroscientist
- Biography
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Henry John Markram is a South African-born Israeli neuroscientist, professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and director of the Blue Brain Project and founder of the Human Brain Project.
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Lindiwe Mazibuko
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lindiwe Desire Mazibuko is a South African writer, activist, and former politician. Between 2011 and 2014 she was the parliamentary leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa. She served in the National Assembly through the Fifth Parliament but resigned in May 2014.
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Andries Treurnicht
- Occupations
- politicianChristian minister
- Biography
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Andries Petrus Treurnicht was a South African politician, Minister of Education during the Soweto Riots and for a short time leader of the National Party in Transvaal. In 1982 he founded and led the Conservative Party of South Africa whose successes among the white electorate made him Leader of the Opposition in 1987, a position he retained until his death.
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Pieter-Dirk Uys
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- comedianwriter
- Biography
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Pieter-Dirk Uys is a South African performer, author, satirist, and social activist. One of his best known roles is as Evita Bezuidenhout, an Afrikaner socialite.
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Riaad Moosa
- Occupations
- stand-up comedian
- Biography
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Riaad Moosa is a South African comedian, actor and doctor.
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Emanuel Derman
- Occupations
- economistbankeruniversity teacherphysicistmathematician
- Biography
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Emanuel Derman is a South African-born academic, businessman and writer. He is best known as a quantitative analyst, and author of the book My Life as a Quant: Reflections on Physics and Finance.
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Angelique Rockas
- Occupations
- film actoractorstage actorartistic directorvisual artist
- Biography
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Angelique Rockas is an actress, producer and activist. Rockas founded the theatre company Internationalist Theatre in the UK with her patron Athol Fugard. The theatre featured multi-racial casts in classical plays.
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Zane Weir
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Zane Weir is an Italian shot putter of South African descent. He has represented Italy since February 2020, and competed for them at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He won gold at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
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Zolani Mahola
- Occupations
- singeractor
- Biography
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Zolani Mahola is a South African singer, actress, storyteller and inspiration speaker, now also known under the stage name The One Who Sings. She is the lead singer of the pan-African South African music group Freshlyground since 2002. On 15 August 2019, Mahola officially announced the launch of her solo career while the Freshlyground band went on to have their last performance after 17 years on 31 December 2019 at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town.
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Paul Maritz
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- businesspersonengineer
- Biography
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Paul Alistair Maritz is a computer scientist and software executive. He held positions at Microsoft and EMC Corporation. In October 2021, Maritz was named as the chairman of the board of directors for Acronis. He also is chairman of Pivotal Software.
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Tulia Ackson
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Tulia Ackson is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, in office since 2022. She was appointed as a Member of Parliament by President John Magufuli. On 27 October 2023, she was elected the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) through the meeting convened at Luanda Angola where she passed other contestants by a great margin.
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David Coltart
- Occupations
- civil servantpolitician
- Biography
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David Coltart is a Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change when it was established in 1999 and its founding secretary for legal affairs. Coultart was the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in the House of Assembly from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to the Senate in 2008. He was the Minister for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture from February 2009 until August 2013.
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Solly Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman
- Occupations
- anatomistpoliticianzoologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Solomon "Solly" Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman OM KCB FRS was a British public servant, zoologist and operational research pioneer. He is best remembered as a scientific advisor to the Allies on bombing strategy in the Second World War, for his work to advance the cause of nuclear non-proliferation, and for his role in bringing attention to global economic issues.
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Demetri Catrakilis
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Demetri Catrakilis is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played for Premiership side Harlequins, Top 14 side Montpellier, for the Stormers and the Southern Kings in Super Rugby and Pro 14, for Western Province in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions and for the UCT Ikey Tigers in the Varsity Cup. His regular playing position was fly-half.
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Vinny Lingham
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Vinny Lingham is a South African-born American Internet entrepreneur who is the co-founder & CEO of an identity protection and management startup based in California called Civic. He was also previously the founder and CEO of Gyft & Yola, Inc. He is also the co-founder of SiliconCape, an NGO based in South Africa that aims to turn Cape Town into a technology hub.
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Dillyn Leyds
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Dillyn Yullrich Leyds is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national team and La Rochelle in the French Top 14. He can play as a fullback, fly-half or wing.
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David Tredinnick
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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David Arthur Stephen Tredinnick is a British Conservative former Member of Parliament who represented Bosworth in Leicestershire from 1987 to 2019.
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Neil Aggett
- Occupations
- trade unionistphysician
- Biography
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Neil Aggett was a Kenyan and South African doctor and trade union organiser who was killed, while in detention, by the Security Branch of the Apartheid South African Police Service after being held for 70 days without trial.
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E. Neville Isdell
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Edward Neville Isdell is an Irish businessman, former chair and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company and currently president of the WWF.
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Trevor Hastie
- Occupations
- statisticianuniversity teacheracademic
- Biography
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Trevor John Hastie is an American statistician and computer scientist. He is currently serving as the John A. Overdeck Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Professor of Statistics at Stanford University. Hastie is known for his contributions to applied statistics, especially in the field of machine learning, data mining, and bioinformatics. He has authored several popular books in statistical learning, including The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction. Hastie has been listed as an ISI Highly Cited Author in Mathematics by the ISI Web of Knowledge. He also contributed to the development of S.
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Jean Comaroff
- Occupations
- anthropologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Jean Comaroff is Professor of African and African American Studies and of Anthropology, Oppenheimer Fellow in African Studies at Harvard University. She is an expert on the effects of colonialism on people in Southern Africa. Until 2012, Jean was the Bernard E. & Ellen C. Sunny Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology and of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and Honorary Professor of Anthropology at the University of Cape Town.
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Ebrahim Rasool
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Ebrahim Rasool is a South African politician and diplomat who served as the South African Ambassador to the United States from 2010 to 2015, as a Member of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2010, and as the 5th Premier of the Western Cape from 2004 to 2008. He is a member of the African National Congress and has held various leadership positions in the party.
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Zach de Beer
- Occupations
- politicianphysicianbusinesspersondiplomat
- Biography
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Zacharias Johannes de Beer was a South African politician, businessman and diplomat. A liberal Afrikaner, he was the last federal leader of the Progressive Federal Party and then the co-federal leader of the Democratic Party.
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Geoff Makhubo
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Moloantoa Geoffrey Makhubo was a South African politician who served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from December 2019 until his death from COVID-19 in July 2021. He was a member of the African National Congress and the party's regional chair. During the administration of Parks Tau, he served as the MMC (Member of the Mayoral Committee) for Finance.
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Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann
- Occupations
- judgepolitician
- Biography
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Leonard Hubert "Lennie" Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann GBS PC is a senior South African–British judge. Currently, he serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; he formerly served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009.
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Errol Damelin
- Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
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Errol Damelin is a South African entrepreneur and early-stage technology investor. In 2007 he co-founded Wonga, an internet payday loan company that gained notoriety for charging extremely high interest on short-term loans. After Damelin stepped down as CEO of the company in 2013, the company went into administration on 30 August 2018.
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Lerato Mbele
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Lerato Mbele is a South African journalist and broadcaster working for the BBC. Mbele currently presents Talking Business Africa for the network. She previously presented the Africa Business Report and Newsday.
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Anthony St John, 22nd Baron St John of Bletso
- Years
- 1957-.. (age 68)
- Occupations
- politicianbusiness executive
- Biography
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Anthony Tudor St John, 22nd Baron St John of Bletso is a British peer, politician, businessman and solicitor. He is one of the ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the House of Lords Act 1999. He speaks on African affairs (and is a notable expert on Southern Africa), deregulation, financial services and information technology. Rather than aligning with a particular political party, he remains a crossbencher.
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Ian Goldin
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 70)
- Occupations
- bankereconomist
- Biography
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Ian Andrew Goldin is a South African-born British professor at the University of Oxford in England, and was the founding director of the Oxford Martin School.
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Neville Alexander
- Occupations
- university teacherlinguist
- Biography
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Neville Edward Alexander OLS was a proponent of a multilingual South Africa and a former revolutionary who spent ten years on Robben Island as a fellow-prisoner of Nelson Mandela.
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Jonathan Shapiro
- Occupations
- caricaturistcartoonistcomics artistjournalist
- Biography
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Jonathan Shapiro is a South African cartoonist, known as Zapiro, whose work appears in numerous South African publications and has been exhibited internationally on many occasions. He is the nephew of British magician David Berglas and cousin to Marvin Berglas, director of Marvin's Magic.
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David Theo Goldberg
- Occupations
- criminologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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David Theo Goldberg is a South African professor working in the United States, known for his work in critical race theory, the digital humanities, and the state of the university.
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Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor
- Occupations
- flying ace
- Biography
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Andrew Frederick Weatherby Beauchamp-Proctor, VC, DSO, MC & Bar, DFC (4 September 1894 – 21 June 1921) was a South African airman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was South Africa's leading ace of the First World War, being credited with 54 aerial victories.
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Johannes Brand
- Occupations
- politicianbarrister
- Biography
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Sir Johannes Henricus Brand, GCMG was a lawyer and politician who served as the fourth state president of the Orange Free State, from 2 February 1864 until his death in 1888. He was the son of Sir Christoffel Joseph Brand (1797–1875), speaker of the Cape legislative assembly, and Catharina Fredrica Küchler.
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Judith Sephuma
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Judith Sephuma is a South African jazz and Afro-pop singer.
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Ernest George Jansen
- Occupations
- writerpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Ernest George Jansen was the penultimate Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, holding office from 1951 until his death in 1959.
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Colin Eglin
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Colin Wells Eglin was a South African politician best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986–87. He represented Sea Point in the South African Parliament from 1958–61 and from 1974–2004. Described by Nelson Mandela as "one of the architects of (South Africa's) democracy", Eglin played a leading role in the drafting of the country's post-apartheid constitution.
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Richard Spring, Baron Risby
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Richard John Grenville Spring, Baron Risby is a former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury St Edmunds from 1992 to 1997, and for West Suffolk from 1997 to 2010. He joined the House of Lords in 2010.
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Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr
- Occupations
- classical scholarpolitician
- Biography
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Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr was a South African politician and intellectual in the years preceding apartheid. In his lifetime he was regarded as one of the cleverest men in the country, and it was widely expected that he would eventually become Prime Minister of South Africa. He came from a well-known Afrikaner family; his uncle, also Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr but known affectionately as "Onze Jan" among fellow Afrikaners, was a famous figure in the Afrikaans language movement.
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John Joubert
- Occupations
- composer
- Biography
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John Pierre Herman Joubert was a British composer of South African birth, particularly of choral works. He lived in Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, England, for over 50 years. A music academic in the universities of Hull and Birmingham for 36 years, Joubert took early retirement in 1986 to concentrate on composing and remained active into his eighties. Though perhaps best known for his choral music, particularly the carols Torches and There is No Rose of Such Virtue and the anthem O Lorde, the Maker of Al Thing, Joubert composed over 160 works including three symphonies, four concertos and seven operas.
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Vimbai Mutinhiri
- Occupations
- reality television participant
- Biography
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Vimbai Mutinhiri is a Zimbabwean actress, model and television personality. She was born in Harare, Zimbabwe but raised in Belgrade, Serbia and in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to participating in Big Brother Africa Amplified in 2011, she studied in South Africa graduating from the University of Cape Town with an honours degree in politics, philosophy and economics.
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Ian Neilson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ian Douglas Neilson is a South African civil engineer and politician who served as the Deputy Mayor of Cape Town from May 2009 to October 2021. He previously served as the Mayoral Committee Member for Finance from 2006 until 2016 and Executive Councillor for Safety and Health from 2000 until 2002.
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Dipuo Peters
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Elizabeth Dipuo Peters is a South African politician who is the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development of the Republic of South Africa from 7 March 2023. She was previously the Minister of Transport from 10 July 2013 until 30 March 2017, in the Zuma administration, and former Minister of Energy from 2009 to 2013 having served as successor to Manne Dipico as the second Premier of the Northern Cape Province, 22 April 2004 to 10 May 2009. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she serves on the Women's League National Executive Committee. Dipuo Peters resigned as a member of parliament for the African National Congress in April 2017.
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Hugh Beadle
- Occupations
- judgepoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Sir Thomas Hugh William Beadle, CMG, OBE, PC was a Rhodesian lawyer, politician and judge who served as Chief Justice of Southern Rhodesia from March 1961 to November 1965, and as Chief Justice of Rhodesia from November 1965 until April 1977. He came to international prominence against the backdrop of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain in November 1965, upon which he initially stood by the British Governor Sir Humphrey Gibbs as an adviser; he then provoked acrimony in British government circles by declaring Ian Smith's post-UDI administration legal in 1968.
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Barney Pityana
- Occupations
- university teachertheologianlawyer
- Biography
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Nyameko Barney Pityana FKC GCOB is a human rights lawyer and theologian in South Africa. He is an exponent of Black theology.
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Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacherpsychologist
- Biography
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Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is the Research Chair in Studies in Historical Trauma and Transformation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. She graduated from Fort Hare University with a bachelor's degree and an Honours degree in psychology. She obtained her master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Rhodes University. She received her PhD in psychology from the University of Cape Town. Her doctoral thesis, entitled "Legacies of violence: An in-depth analysis of two case studies based on interviews with perpetrators of a 'necklace' murder and with Eugene de Kock", offers a perspective that integrates psychoanalytic and social psychological concepts to understand extreme forms of violence committed during the apartheid era. Her main interests are traumatic memories in the aftermath of political conflict, post-conflict reconciliation, empathy, forgiveness, psychoanalysis and intersubjectivity. She served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). She currently works at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein as a senior research professor.
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Jonathan Kaplan
- Occupations
- rugby union match officialrugby union player
- Biography
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Jonathan Isaac Kaplan, is a former international rugby union referee who used to hold the record for the most international matches as referee.
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Mulalo Doyoyo
- Years
- 1970-2024 (aged 54)
- Occupations
- inventorprofessorengineer
- Biography
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Mulalo Doyoyo FRSA was a South African engineer, inventor, and professor.
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Brent Russell
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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Robert Brent Russell is a South African retired professional rugby union player. He is a "utility back" (capable of playing fullback, fly-half or wing) who plays for Clermont in the French Top 14. Previously, he had played with Saracens in England, and before that the Sharks in the Currie Cup and the Sharks in the Super 14 for many years. He also featured frequently in the Springbok squad before his departure for Europe. He won 23 caps and scored 40 points (8 tries) for his country. Russell is known by the nickname Pocket Rocket.
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Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- 2006-2010 studied philosophy
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Nozizwe Charlotte Madlala-Routledge is a South African politician who was South Africa's Deputy Minister of Defence from 1999 to April 2004 and Deputy Minister of Health from April 2004 to August 2007. President Thabo Mbeki dismissed her from the Cabinet on 8 August 2007, after which she maintained her role as a member of parliament representing the African National Congress. On 25 September 2008, she became Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, serving in that capacity until resigning from Parliament in early May 2009. She has been a member of the South African Communist Party since 1984.
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James Selfe
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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James Selfe was a South African politician who was a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), and the party's Federal Council Chairperson. He was also the party's Shadow Minister of Correctional Services. Selfe resigned from Parliament and as the Shadow Minister of Correctional Services with effect from 31 December 2021.
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Randall Abrahams
- Enrolled in the University of Cape Town
- Studied in 1988-1992
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
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Randall Abrahams, is a South African TV personality, author and radio presenter best known for adjudicating the Idols South Africa (2002–2022) where he gained the nickname "The Bad Judge". He was with the show for the first 17 seasons.
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Kopano Matlwa
- Occupations
- physiciannovelist
- Biography
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Kopano Matlwa is a South African writer and doctor, known for her novel Spilt Milk, which focuses on the South Africa's "Born Free" generation, and Coconut, her debut novel, which addresses issues of race, class, and colonization in modern Johannesburg. Coconut was awarded the European Union Literary Award in 2006/2007 and also won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa in 2010. Spilt Milk was on the longlist for the 2011 Sunday Times Fiction Prize. She is currently the Executive Director of the Zero Stunting Campaign which is a South African multi-funder initiative that aims to reduce the prevalence of stunting in South Africa by 2020.
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Nicholas Haysom
- Years
- 1952-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Nicholas Roland Leybourne "Fink" Haysom is a South African lawyer and diplomat who focuses on democratic governance, constitutional and electoral reforms and the reconciliation and peace process. Since 2021, he has been serving as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
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Cheryl de la Rey
- Born in
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South Africa - Occupations
- psychologist
- Biography
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Professor Cheryl Merle de la Rey is a South African academic who, since 2019, has been vice-chancellor of University of Canterbury in New Zealand. She was formerly Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
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Stephen Brislin
- Occupations
- Catholic priestCatholic bishop
- Biography
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Stephen Brislin is a South African prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the archbishop of Cape Town from 2010 - 2024. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis on 30 September 2023 and on 24 October 2024 was appointed archbishop of Johannesburg And was Installed As Archbishop on the 25 January 2025
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Cameron Dugmore
- Years
- 1963-.. (age 62)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Cameron Muir Dugmore is a South African politician who was elected to the National Assembly of South Africa in the 2024 general election as a member of the African National Congress. Prior to his election, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2019 until 2024. Dugmore served in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 1994 until 2009 and again from 2014 until 2024. He served as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport from 2008 to 2009, and as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education from 2004 to 2008.
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Nandipha Mntambo
- Occupations
- photographersculptortelevision producer
- Biography
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Nandipha Mntambo is a South African artist who has become famous for her sculptures, videos and photographs that focus on human female body and identity by using natural, organic materials. Her art style has been self described as eclectic and androgynous. She is best known for her cowhide sculptures that connects the human form to nature.
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Michael Oblowitz
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorcinematographer
- Biography
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Michael Oblowitz is a South African filmmaker.
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Louise Carver
- Occupations
- pianistsingersongwriter
- Biography
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Louise Carver is a South African folk rock singer-songwriter and pianist.
