SA Hall of Fame

Those who have inspired us.
Those who have defined us.
Those who have shown us our common humanity.
Saartjie Baartman
1789 - 1816 The 'Hottentot Venus', as she was called in Europe, was a Khoisan girl who was misled and humiliated in her short and tragic life, only to have further indignity bestowed on her after death.

Herman Charles Bosman
1909 - 1955 Irreverent and controversial master of the short story, once a death row inmate, who broke new boundaries with his satirical portrayal of backveld Afrikaners and the more seedy characters found in metropolitan Johannesburg.

Alison Botha
1970 - ? Rape survivor who was left for dead after suffering a horrifying attack that shocked a nation. Today she is an international speaker on rape and a successful author.

J. M. Coetzee
1940 - ? This Professor of Literature and author became the first writer to win two Booker prizes. He won the first in 1983, for the "Life and Times of Michael K." and the second in 1999 for "Disgrace". In 2003 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Bram Fischer
1908 - 1975 Rhodes Scholar, lawyer and anti-Apartheid revolutionary who defended Nelson Mandela at the Rivonia Trial and died serving a life sentence for treason.

Athol Fugard
1932 - ? One of the country's premier playwrights whose works, many which were previously banned, deal with contemporary South Africa and the psychological and physical barriers confronted in trying to overcome Apartheid.

Emily Hobhouse
1860 - 1926 Humanitarian activist who exposed the horrors of concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. Her ashes are buried at the foot of the Women's Memorial monument in Bloemfontein.

Jan Hofmeyr
1895 - 1948 Child prodigy, Professor, prominent United Party politician and intermittent Prime Minister, whose liberal sympathies and opposition to the removal of the African franchise in 1936 made him a target of the Nationalists.

Mike Horn
1966 - ? Adventurer and extreme sport enthusiast that has set several world records and firsts, among them the solo, unpowered circumnavigation of the globe.

Nkosi Johnson
1989 - 2001 Aids activist who was the longest surviving child born with the virus in the country. He became a symbol for sufferers after an emotional speech he made at the World Aids Conference.

Hugh Masekela
1939 - ? Renowned trumpeter and musical innovator who has popularised his particular brand of African music accross the globe for over four decades.

'Baby Jake' Matlala
1962 - ? Four-time world flyweight boxing champion who was the shortest man in boxing and retired successfully defending his crown, at the age of 40.

Precious McKenzie
1936 - ? South Africa has a hero who remains unsung in his country of birth. Precious Mckenzie had to overcome numerous trials during his lifetime to become the sportsman who some herald as one of the all-time greats.

Alan Paton
1903 - 1988 Former principal and famous author of Cry, the Beloved Country who tirelessly campaigned for a better South Africa during its dark years.

Sol Plaatje
1876 - 1932 Journalist, author and activist who wrote Mhudi, the first novel by a black South African. He was also a founding member of the ANC and had a major role in establishing Nkosi Sikilel i'Afrika as the anthem of freedom.

Gary Player
1935 - ? Golfing legend and philanthropist who has won 160-plus tournaments worldwide, including 9 Grand Slam tournaments. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Walter Sisulu
1912 - 2003 Activist and patriot who was jailed for life in 1963, along with Nelson Mandela. He became deputy president of the ANC after his release in 1989 and has been the cornerstone of the "old guard" in the struggle.

Tokyo Sexwale
1959 - ? Freedom fighter, Robben Island prisoner, politician and entrepeneur who became the first premier of Gauteng, only to retire from politics when his term ended.

Zanele Situ
1979 - ? Javelin and discus athlete who became the first black South African to win an Olympic gold medal at the paraplegic games.

Josiah Thugwane
1971 - ? Hijack survivor, marathon runner and the first black South African to win a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Shaka Zulu
circa 1787 - 1828 Military strategist who assumed the throne of the Zulu Kingdom. After he reorganized the Zulu into a military clan, he soon forged them into a force unchallenged in Southern African kingdoms.