List of South African writers

This is a list of writers from South Africa.

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 (born 1939)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * Michael Stanley (Pen name of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip)
 * Willem Steenkamp
 * Sylvester Stein (1920–2015)
 * Jonny Steinberg (born 1970)
 * Cynthia Stockley (1873–1936)
 * Harold Strachan (1925–2020)
 * Barry Streek (1948–2006)
 * Stefan Swanepoel (born 1958), now living in the United States

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