List of South African writers

This is a list of writers from South Africa.

A

• Lionel Abrahams (1928–2004)
• Peter Abrahams (born 1919)
• Rehane Abrahams (born 1970)
• Wilna Adriaanse (born 1958)
• Tatamkulu Afrika (1920–2002), born in Egypt
• Lawrence Anthony (1950–2012)
• Hennie Aucamp (born 1934)
• Diane Awerbuck

B

• C. Johan Bakkes (born 1956)
• Christiaan Bakkes (born 1965)
• Margaret Bakkes (born 1931)
• Shabbir Banoobhai (born 1949)
• Lady Anne Barnard (1750–1825)
• Lesley Beake (born 1949)
• Mark Behr (born 1963), South Africa/Tanzania
• Dricky Beukes (1918–1999)
• Lauren Beukes (born 1976)
• Steve Biko (1946–1977)
• Troy Blacklaws (born 1965)
• François Bloemhof (born 1962)
• Elleke Boehmer (born 1961)
• William Bolitho (1891–1930), author and biographer
• Diphete Bopape (born 1957)
• Herman Charles Bosman (1905–1951)
• Alba Bouwer (born 1920)
• Johanna Brandt (1876–1964)
• Breyten Breytenbach (born 1939)
• André Brink (born 1935)
• Dennis Brutus (1924–2009)
• Guy Butler (1918–2001)

C–D

• Roy Campbell (1901–1957)
• Stuart Cloete (1897–1976)
• J.M. Coetzee (born 1940), awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Bryce Courtenay (1933–2012)
• Jeremy Cronin (born 1949)
• Patrick Cullinan (born 1932)
• Achmat Dangor (born 1948)
• Ingrid de Kok (born 1951)
• Phillippa Yaa de Villiers (born 1966)
• Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo (1901–1971)
• Finuala Dowling (born 1962)
• Graham Downs (born 1980)
• Zebulon Dread
• K. Sello Duiker (1974–2005)

E–G

• Tony Eprile, born in Johannesburg, lives in the U.S.
• Ahmed Essop (born 1931), born in India, grew up in Johannesburg (born 1931)
• Elisabeth Eybers (1915–2007)
• Mary Faulkner (1903–1973)
• Ruth First (1925–1982)
• Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (1862–1931)
• Charles J. Fourie (born 1965)
• Lynne Freed (born 1945)
• Dave Freer (born 1959)
• Graeme Friedman
• Athol Fugard (born 1932)
• Sheila Fugard born in England (born 1932)
• Damon Galgut (born 1963)
• Nadine Gordimer (born 1923), awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Stephen Gray (born 1941)
• Miriam Green, an academic now living in England
• Michael Cawood Green (born 1954)
• Mafika Gwala (born 1946)

H–J

• Joan Hambidge (born 1956)
• Bessie Head (1937–1986), born in South Africa but usually seen as a Botswanan writer
• Cat Hellisen (born 1977)
• Manu Herbstein (born 1936)
• Christopher Hope (born 1944)
• Emma Huismans (born 1947)
• Robin Hyde (1906–1939), born in South Africa but usually seen as a New Zealand writer
• Mhlobo Jadezweni (born 1954)
• Cynthia Jele
• Ingrid Jonker (1933–1965)
• Archibald Campbell Jordan (1906–1968)
• Elsa Joubert (born 1922)
• Gideon Joubert (born 1923)

K–L

• John Christoffel Kannemeyer (1939–2011)
• Farida Karodia (born 1942)
• Anne Kellas (born 1951), also connected with Australia
• Keorapetse Kgositsile (born 1938)
• Robert Kirby (1936–2007)
• Antjie Krog (born 1952)
• Mazisi Kunene (1930–2006)
• Richard Kunzmann (born 1976)
• Ellen Kuzwayo (1914–2006)
• Alex La Guma (1925–1985)
• David Lambkin (born 1947), born in the United Kingdom
• Anne Landsman (born 1959)
• Mandla Langa (born 1950)
• C.J. Langenhoven (1873–1932)
• Greg Lazarus
• Etienne Leroux (1922–1989)
• Graham Michael Lesch (1936–2007)
• Douglas Livingstone (1932–1996), born in Malaysia
• Al Lovejoy (born 1963)

M

• Rozena Maart (born 1962)
• E. S. Madima
• Tenda Madima
• Sindiwe Magona (born 1943)
• Arthur Maimane (1932–2005)
• Angela Makholwa (born 1976)
• Rian Malan (born 1954)
• Nelson Mandela (1918–2013)
• Eugène Marais (1871–1936)
• John Mateer (born 1971), also connected with Australia
• Mark Mathabane (born 1981)
• Todd Matshikiza (1921–1968)
• Don Mattera (born 1935)
• Dalene Matthee (1938–2005)
• James McClure (1939–2006)
• Michelle McGrane (born 1974), born in Zimbabwe
• Zakes Mda (born 1948)
• M.E.R. (1875–1975)
• Joan Metelerkamp (born 1956)
• Deon Meyer (born 1958)
• Thando Mgqolozana (born 1983)
• Niq Mhlongo (born 1973)
• Gcina Mhlophe (born 1959)
• Kirsten Miller
• Bloke Modisane (1924–1986)
• Casey Motsisi (1932–1977)
• Phaswane Mpe (1970–2004)
• Es'kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele (1919–2008)
• Samuel E. K. Mqhayi (1875–1945)
• Oswald Mtshali (born 1940)
• Ena Murray (born 1936)
• Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (born 1921)

N–R

• Njabulo Ndebele (born 1948)
• Lauretta Ngcobo (born 1931)
• Christopher Robert Nicholson (born 1945)
• Lewis Nkosi (1936–2010)
• Arthur Nortje (1942–1970)
• Sibusiso Nyembezi (1919–2000)
• Joy Packer (1905–1977)
• Raj Patel (born 1972)
• Alan Paton (1903–1988)
• Mary Phillips (1905–2007)
• Sol T. Plaatje (1876–1932)
• Jan Rabie (1920–2001)
• Richard Rive (1931–1989)
• Dan Roodt (born 1957)
• Daphne Rooke (1914–2009)
• Henrietta Rose-Innes (born 1971)
• Eric Rosenthal (1905–?)

S

• Mary Sadler (born 1941)
• Riana Scheepers (born 1957)
• Karel Schoeman (born 1939)
• Alan Scholefield (born 1931)
• Patricia Schonstein (born 1952)
• Olive Schreiner (1855–1920)
• Sipho Sepamla (1932–2007)
• Mongane Wally Serote (born 1944)
• Gillian Slovo (born 1952)
• Adam Small (born 1936)
• Russell Smith (born 1963), born in South Africa, raised and lives in Canada
• Wilbur Smith (born 1932)
• Jason Staggie (born 1984)
• Sylvester Stein (born 1920)
• Jonny Steinberg (born 1970)
• Harold Strachan (born 1925)
• Barry Streek (1948–2006)
• Stefan Swanepoel (born 1958), raised in South Africa and now lives in United States

T–V

• Can Themba (1924–1969)
• Miriam Tlali (born 1933)
• J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State (now South Africa); raised and lived in England
• Benedict Vilakazi (1906–1947)
• Lettie Viljoen (born 1948)
• A.G. Visser (1878–1929)
• Ivan Vladislavic (born 1957)
• John van de Ruit (born 1975)
• Sir Laurens van der Post (1906–1996)
• Etienne van Heerden (born 1956)
• John van Melle (1887–1953), born in the Netherlands
• Marlene van Niekerk (born 1954)
• Charles van Onselen
• Christopher van Wyk (born 1957)
• F.A. Venter (1916–1997)
• Nicolaas Vergunst (born 1958)
• Wayne Visser (born 1970)
• Ivan Vladislavic (born 1957)
• Gert Vlok Nel (born 1963)

W–Z

• Alf Wannenburgh (born 1936)
• Zukiswa Wanner (born 1976)
• Lyall Watson (1939–2008)
• Mary Watson (born 1975)
• Stephen Watson (born 1955)
• Zoe Wicomb (born 1948)
• Rachel Zadok (born 1972), London-based
• Rose Zwi (born 1928), born in Mexico

See also

• List of African writers by country
• Amstel Playwright of the Year Award
• South African literature
• South African poetry
• List of poets
• List of South African poets