List of South African writers

This is a list of writers from South Africa.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

• Lionel Abrahams (1928–2004)
• Peter Abrahams (1919–2017)
• Rehane Abrahams (born 1970)
• Wilna Adriaanse (born 1958)
• Tatamkulu Afrika (1920–2002), born in Egypt
• Lawrence Anthony (1950–2012)
• Hennie Aucamp (1934–2014)
• Diane Awerbuck (born 1974)

B

• C. Johan Bakkes (born 1956)
• Christiaan Bakkes (born 1965)
• Margaret Bakkes (1931–2016)
• Jillian Becker (born 1932)
• 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)
• Dugmore Boetie (c.1924–1966)
• Stella Blakemore (1906–1991)
• William Bolitho (1891–1930)
• Diphete Bopape (born 1957)
• Herman Charles Bosman (1905–1951)
• Alba Bouwer (1920–2010)
• Johanna Brandt (1876–1964)
• Breyten Breytenbach (1939–2024)
• André Brink (1935–2015)
• Babette Brown (1931–2019)
• Dennis Brutus (1924–2009)
• Guy Butler (1918–2001)

C–D

• Roy Campbell (1901–1957)
• Cecile Cilliers (1933–2018)
• Stuart Cloete (1897–1976)
• J. M. Coetzee (born 1940), awarded 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Bryce Courtenay (1933–2012)
• Jeremy Cronin (born 1949)
• Patrick Cullinan (1932–2011)
• Achmat Dangor (1948–2020)
• Ingrid de Kok (born 1951)
• Phillippa Yaa de Villiers (born 1966)
• Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo (1901–1971)
• Finuala Dowling (born 1962)
• Zebulon Dread (living)
• K. Sello Duiker (1974–2005)

E–G

• Tony Eprile (born 1955), lives in the United States
• Ahmed Essop (1931–2019), born in India, grew up in Johannesburg
• Elisabeth Eybers (1915–2007)
• Mary Faulkner (1903–1973)
• Ruth First (1925–1982)
• Sir Percy FitzPatrick (1862–1931)
• Charles J. Fourie (born 1965)
• Lynn Freed (born 1945)
• Dave Freer (born 1959)
• Graeme Friedman
• Stacey Fru (born 2007)
• Athol Fugard (born 1932)
• Sheila Fugard (born 1932), born in England
• Damon Galgut (born 1963)
• Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014), awarded 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Khaya Gqibitole
• Stephen Gray (1941–2020)
• Michael Cawood Green (born 1954)
• Mafika Gwala (1946–2014)

H–J

• Megan Hall (born 1972)
• Joan Hambidge (born 1956)
• Bessie Head (1937–1986), born in South Africa, mainly in Botswana
• Cat Hellisen (born 1977)
• Manu Herbstein (born 1936)
• Christopher Hope (born 1944)
• Emma Huismans (born 1947)
• Robin Hyde (1906–1939), born in South Africa, living in New Zealand writer
• Mhlobo Jadezweni (born 1954)
• Karen Jennings (author) (born 1982)
• Ingrid Jonker (1933–1965)
• Archibald Campbell Jordan (1906–1968)
• Elsa Joubert (1922–2020)
• Gideon Joubert (1923–2010)
• Amy Jephta (born 1987)

K–L

• Harry Kalmer (1956–2019)
• John Christoffel Kannemeyer (1939–2011)
• Farida Karodia (born 1942)
• Anne Kellas (born 1951), also connected with Australia
• Keorapetse Kgositsile (1938–2018)
• Fred Khumalo (born 1966)
• 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)
• Christine Barkhuizen le Roux (1959–2020)
• Steve Linde (born 1960), newspaperman
• Douglas Livingstone (1932–1996), born in Malaysia
• Anna M. Louw (1913–2003)

M

• M.E.R. (1875–1975)
• Rozena Maart (born 1962)
• E. S. Madima
• Tenda Madima
• Sindiwe Magona (born 1943)
• Arthur Maimane (1932–2005)
• Angela Makholwa (born 1976)
• Lucas Malan (1946–2010)
• Rian Malan (born 1954)
• Nelson Mandela (1918–2013)
• Nozibele Mayaba
• Eugène Marais (1871–1936)
• Mohale Mashigo (born 1983)
• John Mateer (born 1971), also tied to Australia
• Mark Mathabane (born 1960)
• Todd Matshikiza (1921–1968)
• Don Mattera (1935–2022)
• Dalene Matthee (1938–2005)
• James McClure (1939–2006)
• Michelle McGrane (born 1974), born in Zimbabwe
• Zakes Mda (born 1948)
• Joan Metelerkamp (born 1956)
• Deon Meyer (born 1958)
• Thando Mgqolozana (born 1983)
• Niq Mhlongo (born 1973)
• Gcina Mhlophe (born 1959)
• Kirsten Miller
• Amitabh Mitra
• Bloke Modisane (1924–1986)
• Natalia Molebatsi
• Casey Motsisi (1932–1977)
• Phaswane Mpe (1970–2004)
• Es'kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele (1919–2008)
• Samuel E. K. Mqhayi (1875–1945)
• Lidudumalingani Mqombothi
• Oswald Mtshali (born 1940)
• Ena Murray (1936–2015)
• Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (1921–2020)

N–R

• Njabulo Ndebele (born 1948)
• Lauretta Ngcobo (1931–2015)
• Christopher Robert Nicholson (born 1945)
• J.J. Ncongwane (born 1961)
• Lisa de Nikolits
• Lewis Nkosi (1936–2010)
• Arthur Nortje (1942–1970)
• Masande Ntshanga (born 1986)
• Sibusiso Nyembezi (1919–2000)
• Joy Packer (1905–1977)
• Raj Patel (born 1972)
• Alan Paton (1903–1988)
• Phumlani Pikoli (1988–2021)
• Sol T. Plaatje (1876–1932)
• Christine Qunta (born 1952)
• Jan Rabie (1920–2001)
• Mary Renault (1905–1983) (immigrated to South Africa 1948)
• Richard Rive (1931–1989)
• Dan Roodt (born 1957)
• Daphne Rooke (1914–2009)
• Henrietta Rose-Innes (born 1971)
• Eric Rosenthal (1905–1983)

S

• Riana Scheepers (born 1957)
• Karel Schoeman (1939–2017)
• Alan Scholefield (1931–2017)
• Patricia Schonstein (born 1952)
• Olive Schreiner (1855–1920)
• Sipho Sepamla (1932–2007)
• Mongane Wally Serote (born 1944)
• Ishtiyaq Shukri (born 1968)
• Barney Simon (1932-1995)
• Gillian Slovo (born 1952)
• Adam Small (1936–2016)
• Russell Smith (born 1963), raised and living in Canada
• Wilbur Smith (1932–2021)
• Jason Staggie (born 1984)
• Willem Steenkamp
• Sylvester Stein (1920–2015)
• Jonny Steinberg (born 1970)
• Cynthia Stockley (1873–1936)
• Harold Strachan (1925–2020)
• Barry Streek (1948–2006)

T–V

• Can Themba (1924–1969)
• Miriam Tlali (1933–2017)
• J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), Orange Free State/England
• 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 (1957–2014)
• F.A. Venter (1916–1997)
• Nicolaas Vergunst (born 1958)
• Benedict Vilakazi (1906–1947)
• Lettie Viljoen (born 1948)
• Anna de Villiers (1900–1979)
• A.G. Visser (1878–1929)
• Wayne Visser (born 1970)
• Ivan Vladislavic (born 1957)
• Gert Vlok Nel (born 1963)
• Eugène Terre'Blanche (1941–2010)

W–Z

• Alf Wannenburgh (1936–2010)
• Zukiswa Wanner (born 1976)
• Lyall Watson (1939–2008)
• Mary Watson (born 1975)
• Stephen Watson (1955–2011)
• Zoe Wicomb (born 1948)
• Mark Winkler (born 1966)
• David Yudelman
• Rachel Zadok (born 1972), now based in London
• Rose Zwi (1928–2018), 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