Soweto - Famous Sowetans

Famous Sowetans

Native Sowetans

Soweto was the birthplace of:

• Frank Chikane (born 1951), anti-apartheid activist and lifelong resident
• Bonginkosi Dlamini, aka" Zola", poet, actor, and musician
• Morgan Gould (born 1983), Association football player who plays for Supersport United F.C.
• Doctor Khumalo (born 1967), football player
• Bakithi Kumalo, bass guitar player.
• Jack Lerole musician, famous for penny whistle performance
• Lebo M., composer
• Mandoza (born 1978), kwaito musician
• Richard Maponya businessman, anti-apartheid activist
• Teko Modise footballer
• Kaizer Motaung (born 16 October 1944), is founder and pastor of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club.
• Lucas Radebe (born 1969), former football player and national team captain
• Cyril Ramaphosa (born 1952), lawyer, trade union leader, activist, politician and businessman
• Tokyo Sexwale (born 1953), businessman and former politician, anti-apartheid activist, and political prisoner
• Jomo Sono (born 1955), a South African football club owner and coach and also a former star soccer player
• Siphiwe Tshabalala (born 1984) South Africa footballer who plays for Kaizer Chiefs Football Club.

Other residents

• Gibson Kente (1932–2004), playwright.
• Irvin Khoza (born 27 January 1948) is a South African football administrator and Chairman of Orlando Pirates.
• Aggrey Klaaste (1940–2004), newspaper journalist and editor.
• Ali BaeBae Lerefolo (born 1940), Scriptwriter, actor, theater performer
• Nelson Mandela (born 1918) spent many years living in Soweto. His Soweto home in Orlando is currently a major tourist attraction.
• Lilian Ngoyi (1911–1980), anti-apartheid activist, who spent 18 years under house arrest in Mzimhlope.
• Steven Pienaar (born 1982), Everton F.C. and national team football player
• Hector Pieterson (1964–1976), the first student to be killed during the 1976 uprising in Soweto. A picture where the dying Hector is carried away by a man became a famous press photo. Today a memorial and museum named after him in Orlando West reminds of the 1976 Student Uprising.
• Percy Qoboza (1938–1988), newspaper journalist and editor.
• Gerard Sekoto (1913–1993), artist who lived in Kliptown before emigrating to France in 1947.
• Desmond Tutu (born 1931), cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s, through his opposition to apartheid.