List of people from Bulawayo

The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are otherwise closely associated with or around the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

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.

• John H Abeles (born 1945), physician, medical investor, philanthropist
• Ignatius Arnoz (1885–1950), Czech prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
• Percelle Ascott (born 1993), actor and writer
• Gift Banda (born 1969), politician
• Lewis Banda (born 1982), sprinter
• Roy Barbour (born 1935), field hockey player
• Leo Baron (1916–1985), lawyer, Royal Air Force officer and contract bridge player
• Marshall P. Baron (1934–1977), painter
• Tinker Beets (born 1941), field hockey player and cricketer
• Berita (born 1991), singer, songwriter and music producer
• Mkhululi Bhebhe (born 1984), contemporary gospel music vocalist
• Erich Bloch (1939–2014), economist and columnist
• Graham Boynton, journalist, consultant, travel writer and editor
• Elias Broomberg (1915–1977), businessman and politician
• Robin Brown (born 1951), cricketer
• Angus Buchan (born 1947), author and evangelist
• NoViolet Bulawayo (born 1981), writer
• Frederick Russell Burnham (1861–1947), scout and world-traveling adventurer
• David Candler (1924–2008), first-class cricketer, mathematician, educator and clergyman
• Warren Carne (born 1975), cyclist
• Charlene, Princess of Monaco (born 1978), wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco
• Brian Chikwava (born 1971), writer and musician
• Charles Coghlan (1863–1927), lawyer, first Premier of Southern Rhodesia; honoured by burial near Cecil Rhodes's grave, at "World's View" in the Matopo Hills near Bulawayo
• David Coltart (born 1957), former Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture (2008–2013)
• Charles Coventry (born 1983), cricketer
• Kirsty Coventry (born 1983), world-record swimmer
• James Cowden (born 1869), politician
• Eddie Cross (born 1940), economist and founder member of the mainstream Movement for Democratic Change party led by Nelson Chamisa; currently the Policy Coordinator General
• Harry Davies (1878–1957), politician
• Harry Elinder Davies (1915–2005)
• Chelsy Davy (born 1985), businesswoman, former girlfriend of Prince Harry
• Brendon Dawson (born 1967), rugby union footballer
• Diana Dean (born 1942), Canadian artist
• Luthuli Dlamini (born 1966), film and television actor
• Mildred Reason Dube (died 2022), politician
• John Eaton (1902–1981), Royal Navy officer
• John Edmond (born 1936), folk singer and retired soldier
• Graham Edwards (born 1970), cricketer
• Chris Ellison (born 1954), lawyer and former politician
• Lucia Evans (born 1982), winner of the 2006 Irish TV talent show You're A Star , born in Bulawayo
• Stanley Fischer (born 1943), governor of the Bank of Israel
• Duncan Fletcher (born 1948), cricketer, former coach of England national cricket team and Indian national cricket team
• Roy Garden (born 1961), lawn and indoor bowler
• Adrian Garvey (born 1968), rugby union player
• Maureen George (born 1955), field hockey player
• Norman Geras (1943–2013), professor of political philosophy, University of Manchester; UK blogger (normblog)
• Humphrey Gibbs (1902–1990), GCVO, KCMG, farmer, Governor of the colony of Southern Rhodesia (1959–1970)
• Precious Gondwe (born 1987), lawyer and businesswoman
• Carole Gray (born 1938), dancer and film actress
• Teenage Hadebe (born 1995), footballer
• Elizabeth Haran (born 1954), Australian novelist
• James G. Haskins (1914–1990), politician and businessman
• Charles Helm (1844–1915), missionary
• Graeme Hick (born 1966), Zimbabwean-born English cricketer
• Jason Hitz (born 1980), cricketer and rugby union player
• David Houghton (born 1957), former Zimbabwean cricketer and coach of Zimbabwean cricket team
• Derek Hudson (1934–2005), conductor
• Susan Huggett (born 1954), field hockey player
• Kubi Indi, development activist and businesswoman
• Hank Irvine (born 1943), tennis player
• Tendayi Jembere, actor
• Graham Johnson (born 1950), pianist, recognised as one of the world's leading vocal accompanists; world authority on the song repertoire
• Tony Johnstone (born 1956), golfer
• Heinrich Karlen (1922–2012), Swiss Prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
• Watson Khupe (1962/1963–2022), activist and politician
• Thokozani Khuphe (born 1963), politician, trade unionist and the President of the MDC-T breakaway faction of the Movement for Democratic Change
• Giovanni Matteo Konings (died 1929), prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
• Hilda Kuper (1911–1992), social anthropologist
• Felisitus Kwangwa (born 1995), netball player
• Paul Le Roux (born 1972), programmer, former criminal cartel boss, and informant to the US Drug Enforcement Administration
• Doris Lessing (1919–2013), novelist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature
• John Love (1924–2005), Formula One driver and team owner
• David Lowe (born 1960), retired butterfly and freestyle swimmer
• Precious Lunga (born 1974), epidemiologist, entrepreneur, and CEO/co-founder of Baobab Circle
• Hector Macdonald (1915–2011), judge
• Phineas Makhurane (1939–2018), academic and chairman of the Zimbabwe National Council for Higher Education
• Charles Manyuchi (born 1989), boxer
• Dorothy Masuka (1935–2019), singer
• Muchadeyi Masunda (born 1952), businessman and politician
• Isabella Matambanadzo (born 1973), writer, gender and feminist activist
• Judah Mazive (born 1998), rugby league footballer
• John McChlery, mayor of Bulawayo and later member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council for Marandellas in the early 20th century
• Ian McIntosh (1938–2023), rugby union coach
• Patricia McKillop (born 1956), field hockey player
• Dianna Melrose (born 1952), British diplomat who has served as the British High Commissioner to Tanzania and as the British Ambassador to Cuba
• Mary Metcalfe (born 1954), politician, educator, and academic
• Keegan Meth (born 1988), professional cricketer
• Cont Mhlanga (1957/1958–2022), playwright and founder of Amakhosi Theater
• Vusa Mkhaya (born 1974), singer and songwriter
• Raj Modi (born 1959), businessman and politician
• Daniel Molokele (born 1975), pro-democracy human rights lawyer
• Chido Cleopatra Mpemba (born 1988), Special Envoy for Youth at the African Union Commission
• David Mungoshi (1949–2020), novelist, actor, poet and teacher
• August Musarurwa (born 1968), composer of the tune "Skokiaan"
• Tsitsi Muzenda (born 1950), politician, senator of Midlands Province and daughter of the former Vice-President of Zimbabwe, Simon Muzenda
• Benjani Mwaruwari (born 1978), footballer and former Zimbabwe team captain; also played for Portsmouth FC
• Marvelous Nakamba (born 1994), footballer in the Premier League for Aston Villa and the Zimbabwe national team; born in Hwange, but raised in Bulawayo
• Cleopas Ncube (born 1983), wrestler
• Japhet Ndabeni Ncube, politician
• Pius Ncube (born 1946), Roman Catholic archbishop
• Trevor Ncube (born 1962), entrepreneur
• Callistus Ndlovu (1936–2019), academic, diplomat, and politician
• Lindela Ndlovu (died 2015), biochemist and Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Science and Technology
• Peter Ndlovu (born 1973), footballer, former Zimbabwe team captain; considered to be the best Zimbabwean player of all time
• Lazarus Nkala (1927–1975), trade union leader, activist, and revolutionary
• John Nkomo (1934–2013), politician
• Ian Noble (born 1972), rugby union and rugby league footballer
• Lewin Nyatanga (born 1988), Zimbabwean-born Welsh footballer
• Terence Parkin (born 1980), swimmer
• Virginia Phiri (born 1954), feminist writer
• Alexander Pines (born 1945), professor of chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
• Nick Price (born 1957), former world number one golfer, World Golf Hall of Fame member
• Clive Puzey (born 1941), racing driver
• Jeremy Railton (1944–2025), art director, costume and production designer
• Zoe Ramushu (born 1990), writer, director, producer, actress and multimedia journalist
• Surendran Reddy (1962–2010), musician, composer and performer
• Leo Cardwell Ross (1910–1975), Secretary for Information, Immigration and Tourism in the Rhodesian Government 1965–1972
• Daniel Rowland (born 1984), long-distance trail runner
• Rozalla (born 1964), dance music performer
• Irene Sabatini (born 1967), fiction author
• Sabrina (born 1969), pop singer
• Robin Sampson (born 1940), archer
• Ron Sandler (born 1952), CEO of Lloyd's of London; chairman of Northern Rock Bank
• Allan Savory (born 1935), biologist
• Adolph Schmitt (1905–1976), German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
• Shingai Shoniwa (born 1981), rock musician
• Ernest Sibanda (born 1925), either the first or one of the first black members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in what is today Zimbabwe ^[1]
• Ryan Sissons (born 1988), triathlete
• Bobby Skinstad (born 1976), rugby union player
• Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948), CBE, FRSE, writer and Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland; author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
• David Smith (born 1957), rugby union footballer
• Joseph Sonnabend (1933–2021), physician, researcher, part of the team which discovered interferon
• Yolanda Sonnabend (1935–2015), theatre and ballet designer and painter, primarily of portraits
• Buffalo Souljah (born 1983), reggae recording artist and songwriter
• Heath Streak (1974–2023), cricketer and former captain of Zimbabwe team; current bowling coach of the Bangladesh team
• Wally Stuttaford, politician
• Gavin Sutherland (born 1979), archer
• Robert Clarkson Tredgold (1899–1977), barrister, judge and politician
• Novuyo Tshuma (born 1988), writer and professor of creative writing
• Zeb Tsikira, real estate entrepreneur living in Canada; author
• Graeme Turner (born 1964), cricketer
• Yung Tyran, rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer
• Deandra van der Colff (born 1993), swimmer
• Des van Jaarsveldt (born 1929), rugby union player
• Jaggie van Staden (born 1942), boxer
• Yvonne Vera (1964–2005), award-winning author
• Wayne Visser (born 1970), writer, speaker, film producer, academic, editor of poetry, social entrepreneur and futurist focused on sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and creating integrated value
• Pat Walkden (born 1946), tennis player
• Maureen Thelma Watson (1925–1994), politician
• Nicola Watson (born 1955), accountant and politician
• Mike Williams (born 1991), rugby player
• Sean Williams (born 1986), Zimbabwean cricketer
• Archibald Wilson (1921–2014), fighter pilot who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II
• Peter Wilson (born 1944), first-class cricketer and field hockey player
• Nitefreak (born 1991), DJ and music producer

References

1. This 1998 Church News article says that Sibanda was the first black member baptized in Zimbabwe, but it also states that he was baptized in 1965, when in fact he was baptized in early 1979. So its accuracy on the matter of Sibanda being the first black person baptized into the Church in Zimbabwe is questionable.