List of South African writers

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 US

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)

Michael Cawood Green (born 1954)

Miriam Green, an academic now living in England

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)

Amy Jephta (1987)

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

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)

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)

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)

Lidudumalingani Mqombothi

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)

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

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)

Benedict Vilakazi (1906–1947)

Lettie Viljoen (born 1948)

A.G. Visser (1878–1929)

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)

Mark Winkler (born 1966)

Rachel Zadok (born 1972), London-based

Rose Zwi (born 1928), born in Mexico