List of African Nobel laureates

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The Nobel Prize is an international prize awarded annually since 1901 for achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. An associated prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded since 1969. [1] Nobel Prizes have been awarded to over 800 individuals. [2]

Africans have received awards in all five of the Nobel prize categories: Peace, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Chemistry. The first Black African recipient, Albert Luthuli, was awarded the Peace Prize in 1960 and the first White African who received the prize was Max Theiler in 1951 for Physiology or Medicine. The most recent recipient, Abdulrazak Gurnah, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021.

A notable recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) the first democratically elected president of South Africa, who played a key role in the repeal of apartheid laws. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 alongside President F.W. de Klerk. [3]

Two African laureates, Anwar Sadat of Egypt in 1978 and F.W. de Klerk of South Africa in 1993, were presidents of their countries at the time they were awarded the Nobel Prize. Sadat was honored along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for their efforts to reach a peace agreement between their two countries. DeKlerk was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Nelson Mandela, who led the ANC but was not president of South Africa until 1994.

Laureates

YearImageNameCountryCategoryComment
1951
Max Theiler nobel.jpg
Max Theiler Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa Physiology or Medicine First White African to win a Nobel Prize
1957
Albert Camus, gagnant de prix Nobel, portrait en buste, pose au bureau, faisant face a gauche, cigarette de tabagisme.jpg
Albert Camus Flag of France.svg  France (born in Algeria) Literature First White African to win a Nobel Prize in Literature
1960
Albert Lutuli nobel.jpg
Albert Luthuli Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa Peace First Black African to win a Nobel Prize
1978
Anwar Sadat cropped.jpg
Anwar El Sadat Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt First Egyptian and North African to win a Nobel Prize
1979
A. M. Cormack.jpg
Allan M. Cormack Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa Physiology or Medicine
1982
Aaron Klug 1979.jpg
Aaron Klug Chemistry
1984
Desmond Tutu (47327456801) (cropped and adjusted).jpg
Desmond Tutu Peace
1985
Claude Simon 1967.jpg
Claude Simon Flag of France.svg  France (born in Madagascar) Literature
1986
Soyinka, Wole (1934).jpg
Wole Soyinka Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria First Black African person to win the Nobel Prize for Literature [4]
1988
Necip Mahfuz.jpg
Naguib Mahfouz Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt First Egyptian and North African to win a Nobel Prize in Literature
1991
Nadine Gordimer 01.JPG
Nadine Gordimer Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa First White African woman to win a Nobel Prize
1993
Nelson Mandela 1994 (2).jpg
Nelson Mandela Peace
1993
F. W. de Klerk 2012.jpg
F. W. de Klerk
1997
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji.JPG
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji Flag of France.svg  France (born in Algeria) Physics
1999
Ahmed Zewail (2010).jpg
Ahmed Zewail Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt Chemistry First Egyptian and North African to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
2001
Kofi Annan.jpg
Kofi Annan Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Peace
2002
Sydney Brenner OIST 2008 (33208371153) (cropped).jpg
Sydney Brenner Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Physiology or Medicine
2003
J.M. Coetzee.JPG
J. M. Coetzee Literature
2004
Wangari Matthai 2001 (cropped).jpg
Wangari Maathai Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Peace First Black African woman to win a Nobel Prize
2005
Mohamed ElBaradei.jpg
Mohamed ElBaradei Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
2007
DorisLessing1984.jpg
Doris Lessing Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe (born in Iran) Literature
2008
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio-press conference Dec 06th, 2008-9 (cropped).jpg
J. M. G. Le Clézio Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius (born in France) Literature
2011
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, April 2010.jpg
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia Peace
2011
2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee (cropped).jpg
Leymah Gbowee
2012
Serge Haroche (50367963357).jpg
Serge Haroche Flag of France.svg  France (born in Morocco) Physics
2013
DIMG 7539 (11253383215).jpg
Michael Levitt Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Chemistry
2015
Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet Visit to Vienna March 2016 (24747151924).jpg
Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia Peace
2018
Denis Mukwege par Claude Truong-Ngoc novembre 2014.jpg
Denis Mukwege Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of the Congo
2019
Abiy Ahmed during state visit of Reuven Rivlin to Ethiopia, May 2018.jpg
Abiy Ahmed Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Peace
2021
Gurnah, Abdulrazak k-litcologne 160322 (cropped).jpg
Abdulrazak Gurnah Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania Literature

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References

  1. "Nobel Prize" (2007), in Encyclopædia Britannica , accessed 14 November 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online:
    An additional award, the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden and was first awarded in 1969
  2. "All Nobel Laureates". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  3. "Biography of Nelson Mandela". Nelson Mandela Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. "Wole Soyinka Biography". Nobelprize.org.