List of personalities of the city of Johannesburg
The list of personalities of the city of Johannesburg includes those born and deceased in the South African city of Johannesburg as well as those who worked in Johannesburg but were born elsewhere. The list does not claim to be complete.
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Sons and Daughters of the City of Johannesburg
The following personalities were born in Johannesburg. They are listed chronologically according to the year of birth.
19th century
- Basil Rathbone (1892–1967), British-American actor
- Tessa Wheeler (1893–1936), British archaeologist
20th century
1901-1910
- Arthur Lourie (1903–1978), Israeli diplomat
- Ian Dalrymple (1903–1989), screenwriter and film producer
- Gordon Hodgson (1904–1951), English football player
- William Holford (1907–1975), British architect, town planner and university lecturer
- Karin Evans (1907-2004), British-German actress
- Claude Chevalley (1909–1984), French mathematician
- Louis Hayward (1909–1985), British film and stage actor
1911-1920
- Max Gluckman (1911–1975), ethnosociologist
- Lazar Sidelsky (1911–2002) lawyer
- Norman Braun (1912–1986), German architect
- Joachim Upmeyer (1914–1987), German politician (CDU)
- Joseph Wolpe (1915–1997), South African-American psychiatrist and psychotherapist
- Hugo Biermann (1916–2012), naval officer and commander of the SADF
- Eric Sturgess (1920-2004), tennis player
1921-1930
- Arthur Apfel (1922-2017), British figure skater
- Bloke Modisane (1923–1986), journalist, actor and writer
- Allan McLeod Cormack (1924–1998), South African-American physicist and 1979 Nobel Prize laureate in medicine
- Philip Dowson (1924–2014), British architect
- Ruth First (1925–1982), sociologist and anti-apartheid fighter
- Andrew Mlangeni (1925–2020), politician and anti-apartheid activist
- Kippie Moeketsi (1925–1983), jazz musician
- Joel Carlson (1926–2001), lawyer and anti-apartheid fighter
- Stanley Glasser (1926–2018), composer and ethnomusicologist
- Douglas Stuart, 20th Earl of Moray (1928–2011), British peer and politician
- Stanley Mandelstam (1928–2016), American physicist
- Arthur Goldreich (1929–2011), Israeli painter and professor of design
- John Murray, 11th Duke of Atholl (1929–2012), Hereditary Peer of the Peerage of Scotland, Clan Chief of Clan Murray and Colonel-in-Chief of the Atholl Highlanders
- Raymond Robinson (* 1929), track cyclist
1931-1940
- Thandi Klaasen (1931–2017), jazz singer
- W. Maxwell Cowan (1931-2002), South African-American neurobiologist and neuroanatomist
- Arthur Chaskalson (1931–2012), lawyer, presiding judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of South Africa
- Alex Blignaut (1932–2001), racing car driver
- Joel Joffe (1932–2017), Labor Party politician and human rights lawyer
- Arnold A. Lazarus (1932–2013), American psychologist and psychotherapist
- Peter Magubane (* 1932), photojournalist
- Miriam Makeba (1932-2008), singer
- Jackie Mekler (1932-2019), marathon and ultramarathon runner
- Gilbert Baumslag (1933-2014), South African-American mathematician
- Joyce Piliso-Seroke (* 1933), representative of the women's movement and former Vice President of the World Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
- Miriam Tlali (1933-2017), writer
- Paddy Driver (* 1934), motorcycle and car racer
- Don Mattera (* 1934), writer and journalist
- Jules Sher (* 1934), South African-Australian painter
- Albie Sachs (* 1935), lawyer, judge and author
- Sol Kerzner (1935–2020), entrepreneur
- Gary Player (born 1935), golfer
- Robert Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell (1936–2019), British peer and politician
- Frederik Willem de Klerk (* 1936), politician, President of South Africa (1989–1994)
- Sathima Bea Benjamin (1936–2013), jazz musician (singer, songwriter, composer)
- Gwigwi Mrwebi (* approx. 1936 - † 1973), musician
- Malcolm Spence (1937-2010), sprinter
- Keorapetse Kgositsile (1938–2018), poet and political activist
- Ronnie Kasrils (* 1938), politician
- David Sibeko (1938–1979), politician and journalist
- Janet Suzman (born 1939), actress
- Basil van Rooyen (* 1939), racing car driver
- George FR Ellis (* 1939), cosmologist and mathematician
- Albert Johanneson (1940–1995), football player
- Manfred Mann (* 1940), South African-British rock musician
- Michael Melvill (* 1940), American-South African astronaut and test pilot
1941-1950
- Jonas Gwangwa (* 1941), jazz musician
- Abdul Minty (* 1941), diplomat
- Stanley Cohen (1942-2013), British sociologist
- Selwyn Lissack (* 1942), media artist, entrepreneur and jazz drummer
- Harold Ruttenberg (1942–2005), American entrepreneur
- Beverley Naidoo (* 1943), writer
- Christopher Hope (* 1944), writer and poet
- Eddie Keizan (1944-2016), racing car driver
- Marius Weyers (* 1945), actor
- Nicky Oppenheimer (* 1945), entrepreneur
- John Kongos (* 1945), singer and songwriter
- Sarel van der Merwe (* 1946), racing car driver
- Clive Calder (* 1946), entrepreneur and music producer
- Saul Teukolsky (* 1947), South African-American physicist
- Uli Aschenborn (* 1947), Namibian painter
- Jon Ekerold (* 1948), motorcycle racer
- Edward Gabriel Risi (* 1949), Roman Catholic religious, Bishop of Keimoes-Upington
- Craig Williamson (* 1949), secret agent during apartheid
- Kgalema Motlanthe (* 1949), politician, President from 2008 to 2009 and then Vice President of South Africa until 2014
- Lenny Castro (born 1950), American percussionist
- Jacob Selebi (1950–2015), politician; President of ANCYL and Interpol
1951-1960
- Joseph HH Weiler (* 1951), lawyer
- Helen Zille (* 1951), politician, Prime Minister of the Western Cape
- Cyril Ramaphosa (* 1952), politician, union leader, entrepreneur and Vice President of South Africa since 2014
- Gillian Slovo (* 1952), British writer, journalist and film producer
- Ernst Jacobus van Jaarsveld (* 1953), botanist
- Peter Sarnak (* 1953), American mathematician
- Trevor Rabin (* 1954), rock musician and composer
- Etienne van Heerden (* 1954), writer
- Graham Duxbury (* 1955), racing car driver
- Abel Gabuza (* 1955), clergyman and Roman Catholic coadjutor archbishop of Durban
- William Kentridge (born 1955), artist
- Piet Crous (born 1955), boxer
- Jomo Sono (* 1955), soccer player and coach
- Jeremiah Mamabolo (* 1955), diplomat
- Ilana Kloss (* 1956), tennis player and tennis official
- Gary Barber (* 1957), American film producer of South African origin
- Ivan Glasenberg (* 1957), South African-Australian-Swiss entrepreneur and manager
- Mohammed Valli Moosa (* 1957), politician
- Christopher van Wyk (1957–2014), writer and cultural activist
- Mark Roper (* 1958), director and screenwriter
- Daniel Mindel (* 1958), American cameraman
- David Rattray (1958-2007), historian
- Neil Turok (* 1958), theoretical physicist and astrophysicist
- Ronald Mkwanazi (born 1959), actor
- Kevin Carter (1960–1994), photojournalist
- Christian Dierks (* 1960), German lawyer, doctor and author
- Robert Hersov (* 1960), manager and entrepreneur
- Craig Johnston (born 1960), Australian soccer player
- Zindzi Mandela (1960–2020), poet and politician
- Roger Smith (born 1960), writer
1961-1970
- Patrice Motsepe (* 1962), entrepreneur and billionaire
- Zackie Achmat (* 1962), activist, founder and chairman of the Treatment Action Campaign
- David Neuhaus (* 1962), Israeli Jesuit and patriarchal vicar for the Hebrew-speaking Catholics in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
- Mark Plaatjes (* 1962), American marathon world champion of South African origin
- Cliff Simon (born 1962), actor
- Miriam Stockley (born 1962), British singer
- Guy Tillim (* 1962), photographer (press and art photography)
- Ntshuks Bonga (* 1963), British jazz musician
- Gavin Hood (* 1963), film director and screenwriter
- Ken Oosterbroek (1963-1994), photojournalist
- Byron Talbot (born 1964), tennis player
- Pieter Aldrich (* 1965), tennis player
- Mbongeni Buthelezi (born 1965), artist
- Wayne Kramer (* 1965), film producer, director and screenwriter
- Wayne Lotter (1965–2017), ecologist and conservation activist
- Michael Berger (* 1966), German visual artist, painter, designer
- Jodi Bieber (* 1966), photographer
- Mike Horn (* 1966), extreme athlete
- Rolf Majcen (* 1966), Austrian lawyer, author and extreme athlete
- Dave Matthews (* 1967), American singer-songwriter
- Jonathan Judaken (* 1968), South African-American historian
- Dirk Ommeln (* 1968), German politician (CDU), MdL
- Dimas Teixeira (* 1969), Portuguese football player
- Kobie van Rensburg (* 1969), singer (tenor) and opera director
- Ernie Els (* 1969), golfer
- Marc Arnold (* 1970), soccer player
- Caron Bernstein (* 1970), South African-American actress, singer and model
- Olaf Kölzig (* 1970), German ice hockey goalkeeper
- Dylan van der Schyff (* 1970), Canadian jazz drummer
1971-1980
1971-1975
- Wayne Ferreira (* 1971), professional tennis player
- Pia Marais (* 1971), film director and screenwriter
- Grant Stafford (born 1971), tennis player
- Mariaan de Swardt (* 1971), tennis player
- Candice Breitz (* 1972), artist
- David Carter (* 1972), English professional golfer
- Krause (* 1972), Dutch singer and musician
- Billy-Joe Shearsby (* 1972), Australian cyclist
- Nathalie Boltt (* 1973), actress and dancer
- Daisuke Ishiwatari (* 1973), Japanese video game developer, musician and illustrator
- John-Laffnie de Jager (* 1973), tennis player
- Lavinia Jones (* 1973), pop and euro dance singer
- Joannette Kruger (* 1973), tennis player
- Malcolm Lange (* 1973), racing cyclist
- Gary Formato (* 1974), racing car driver
- Rodney Green (* 1974), racing cyclist
- Steve Nash (* 1974), Canadian basketball player
- Andrew Randell (* 1974), Canadian cyclist
- Kevin Richardson (* 1974), zoologist
- Nicholas White (* 1974), racing cyclist
- Ian Duncan (born 1975), film actor
- Neville Godwin (born 1975), tennis player
- Pierre Issa (* 1975), football player
- Andreas Kern (* 1975), German pianist
- JR Rotem (* 1975), music producer
1976-1980
- Simon Kessler (* 1976), racing cyclist
- Daniel Bennett (* 1976), football referee
- Pieter Hugo (* 1976), photographer
- Jonathan Liebesman (born 1976), director
- Gareth Lubbe (* 1976), musician
- Tanja Mairhofer (* 1976), Austrian TV presenter and actress
- Justine Waddell (born 1976), actress
- Bradley Carnell (born 1977), football player
- Neil MacDonald (born 1977), racing cyclist
- Andrew Strauss (* 1977), English cricketer
- Robert Hunter (* 1977), racing cyclist
- Sven Schmid (* 1978), German sword fencer
- Tandi Gerrard (* 1978), British and South African water diver
- Daniel Spence (* 1979), racing cyclist
- Richard Breutner (* 1979), German fencer
- Alan van der Merwe (* 1980), racing driver
- Bamuza Sono (* 1980), football player
- Clinton Hill (born 1980), Australian athlete
- Alistair Ian Cragg (* 1980), Irish long-distance runner
- Justin Rose (* 1980), English golfer
- Estie Wittstock (* 1980), track and field athlete
- Sizwe Ndlovu (* 1980), rower
- Elias Charalambous (* 1980), Cypriot soccer player
- Aaron Mokoena (* 1980), football player
1981-1990
- Gareth Reinecke (* 1981), ice hockey player
- Steven Pienaar (* 1982), football player
- Reneilwe Letsholonyane (* 1982), football player
- Andrew Anderson (born 1983), tennis player
- Morgan Gould (born 1983), football player
- Jonti Richter (* 1983), Australian soccer player
- Tammin Sursok (* 1983), Australian actress and singer
- Sunette Viljoen (* 1983), javelin thrower
- Izak van der Merwe (* 1984), tennis player
- Kevin Harmse (* 1984), Canadian soccer player
- Daryl Impey (* 1984), racing cyclist
- Shauna Mullin (* 1984), British beach volleyball player
- Trevor Noah (* 1984), presenter and actor
- Charl Schwartzel (* 1984), golfer
- Maxine Seear (* 1984), Australian triathlete
- Jessica Marais (born 1985), Australian actress
- Beth Tweddle (* 1985), British gymnast
- Wayne Odesnik (* 1985), American tennis player
- Kevin Anderson (born 1986), tennis player
- Dean Geyer (* 1986), Australian singer, songwriter and actor
- Peter Lambert (* 1986), rower
- Andrew Surman (* 1986), English football player
- Matthew Brittain (* 1987), rower
- Joshua Reinecke (* 1987), ice hockey player
- Keri-Anne Payne (* 1987), British swimmer
- Grant Nel (* 1988), Australian water diver
- Cariba Heine (* 1988), actress
- Candice Nunes (* 1988), actress
- Kurt Stanley Haupt (* 1989), German rugby player
- Haley Louise Jones (* 1989), German actress
- Megan Kahts (* 1989), singer
- Dena Kaplan (* 1989), Australian actress
- Kylie Ann Louw (* 1989), soccer player
- Prince Damien (* 1990), German singer
1991-2000
- Roxane Hayward (* 1991), model and actress
- Kevin Lerena (born 1992), boxer
- Ariel Kaplan (* 1994), Australian actress and dancer
- Kyle Edmund (born 1995), British tennis player
- Cameron Norrie (born 1995), British tennis player
- Troye Sivan (* 1995), Australian child actor and singer
- Sasha Pieterse (* 1996), American actress
- Connor Wilson (* 1996), ski racer
- Clarence Munyai (* 1998), sprinter
- Panagiotis Retsos (* 1998), Greek football player
- Ryan Gibbons (* 1994), racing cyclist
Year of birth unknown
- Cedric Sundstrom (* 20th century), film director
Personalities who have worked in the city
- Julius Jeppe (1859–1929), entrepreneur and local politician on the Johannesburg City Council, developed Jeppestown
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), human rights and independence fighter, lived in Johannesburg from 1893 to 1914
- Alfred Bitini Xuma (1893–1962), medical doctor and former ANC chairman, lived in Sophiatown
- Madie Beatrice Hall Xuma (1894–1982), educator and women's rights activist
- Ambrose Reeves (1899–1980), Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg and anti-apartheid activist
- Reinhold Cassirer (1908–2001), German-South African gallery owner, husband of Nadine Gordimer , ran a gallery in Johannesburg
- Trevor Huddleston (1913–1998), British Anglican clergyman and anti-apartheid activist, lived in Sophiatown
- Laurence Gandar (1915–1998), editor-in-chief of the Rand Daily Mail and critic of apartheid
- Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), the first black President of South Africa, lived and worked in Soweto, lived in Houghton Estate , Johannesburg
- David Goldblatt (1930–2018), photographer
- Desmond Tutu (* 1931), Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, lived in Soweto
- Mimi Coertse (* 1932), soprano
- Lebo M (* 1964), composer
Personalities who died in Johannesburg
- Abraham Zvi Idelsohn (1882–1938), Russian-Jewish music researcher
- Ossip Runitsch (1889–1947), Russian actor and theater director
- Alfred Bitini Xuma (1893–1962), medic
- Albertina Sisulu (1918–2011), anti-apartheid activist
- Adelaide Tambo (1929–2007), politician and civil rights activist
- Allen Kwela (1939-2003), guitarist
See also
Web links
Commons : People of Johannesburg - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
