Our country has produced some remarkable athletes over the years. We take a look at some South African sports stars who have flown the flag for the rainbow nation. From rugby and cricket to sprinters, swimmers, racing drivers and more.
We’re featuring some unconventional names that have faded into obscurity over the years. Also some surprising names which many people aren’t aware hail from South Africa.
The world’s 5th most athletic nation
It’s true! The U.S. News ranked South Africa no.5 in the world for athleticism. We even beat Team USA who came in at 6th place. What’s more – this ranking was published in September 2023, before all our latest feats in rugby, MMA and more.
It’s impossible to list all the remarkable talent from the rainbow nation, but we can give a shoutout to some of our talented sportsmen and -women who have made us proud over the years. Indeed, some readers will undoubtedly be a bit dismayed at their favourites being left out. Know that we admire all SA’s talented athletes and hope that their legacies won’t be forgotten.
Bryan Habana – record breaker
While rugby players can’t be compared on speed alone (and such measurements aren’t entirely accurate), there’s no denying that Habana is up there with the best of them. (According to Ruck, Trae Williams, Carlin Isles and Tonderai Chavanga beat Habana in speed).
But it’s not just Habana’s speed that make him one of the world’s top players – it’s the combination of explosive acceleration, tenacity and positive spirit on the field that’s made him a favourite. Habana held many world records over the course of his career – sprinting his way into the racing hearts of South African supporters the world over.
Honourable mentions (rugby):
- “Fairy” Heatlie
- Percy Montgommery
- Sarah Levey
- Bennie Osler
- Keith Oxlee
- Danie Craven
- Frik du Preez
- Siya Kolisi
- Uli Schmidt
- Gerrie Brand
- Victor Mattfield
- Handre Pollard
- Chris Koch
- Hennie Muller
- Morne Steyn
- Joost van der Westhuizen
- Joel Stransky
- Makazole Mapimpi
- Jean de Villiers
- Jannie de Beer
- Eben Etzebeth
- Morne du Plessis
- Phil Mostert
- Francois Prinsloo
- John Smith
- Paul Roos
Gary Player – career Grand Slam
Born in Johannesburg in 1935, Player is widely considered the best golfer of all time. In addition to his local feats, he is also the only non-American to achieve a career Grand Slam. He achieved this by winning all 4 majors during his career. This feat has only been achieved by 5 players in history.
Honourable mentions (golf):
- Ernie Els
- Bobby Locke
- Retief Goosen
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Sally Little
- Charl Schwartzel
- Trevor Immelman
- David Frost
- Brendan Grace
- Tim Clark
- Dulan Fritteli
- Tim Clark
- Eric van Rooyen
- Ashleigh Buhai
- Nick Price
Lewis Pugh – beating the distance to break the records
Pugh may not have been born in SA, but he considered himself a saffa none-the-less. He immigrated to South Africa at age 10 and never looked back.
While considered the best open-water swimmer of all time, Pugh had his first swimming lesson at the age of 17. Despite this, he completed a swim from Cape Town to Robben Island shortly after. He was the first person to swim around Cape Agulhas, Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Peninsula (100km), the North Cape (northenmost point of Europe), the length of Sognefjord in Norway in 21 days. He broke the world records for the farthest north, long-distance swim (80° north around Verlegenhuken) and farthest south, long distance swim (65° south at Petermann Island off the Antarctic Peninsula). These are but a few of his countless achievements, records and medals.
Honourable mentions (incl. all swimming styles & distances):
- Joan Harrison
- Chad le Clos
- Penny Heyns
- Cameron van der Burgh
- Natalie du Toit
- Roland Schoeman
- Tatjana Schoenmaker
- Natalie Myburg
- Brendon Dedekind
- Tamsin Cook
- Kerri-anne Payne
- Roland Schoeman
- Matthew Sates
- Lyndon Ferns
- Pieter Coetzee
- Darian Townsend
- Ryk Neethling
- Jonty SKinner
- Karen Muir
Steve Nash – SA’s NBA all-star
Most people don’t think of basketball when they hear South Africa, and yet Steve Nash truly put us on the map. On his retirement, Nash had the highest free-throw percentage of all time in the NBA at 90,43%.
Nash played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and ended his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a two-time NBA MVP (most valuable player), two-time WCC Player of the Year, eight-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA assist leader and two-time AmeriCup MVP among numerous other feats.
Honourable mentions (basketball):
- Samkelo Cele
Jacques Kallis – unbeatable all-rounder
It’s difficult to choose one player as the face of the nation with so many greats to choose from. Nevertheless, Jacques Kallis is considered one of SA’s best cricket all rounders in hsitory.
The ICC ranks him no.1 all-rounder with a batting average of 55,37 and a bowling average of 32,65 in test cricket. His ranking is not up for debate, as he is the only cricketer in the world to have scored more than 24 000 international runs and taken 500 wickets. He is SA’s leading run-scorer across all cricket formats.
Honourable mentions (cricket):
- Shaun Pollock
- Hashim Amla
- Jonty Rhodes
- Kagiso Rabada
- Dale Steyn
- AB de Villiers
- Graeme Pollock
- Lance Klusener
- Allan Donald
- Graeme Smith
- Makhaya Ntini
- Mark Boucher
- Mike Procter
- Kepler Wessels
- JP Duminy
- Fanie de Villiers
- Daryll Cullinan
- Faf du Plessis
- Clive Eksteen
- Hershelle Gibbs
- Bruce Mitchell
- Gary Kirsten
- Clive Rice
Gary Anderson – NFL’s 3rd highest points scorer
As with basketball, South Africans aren’t well known in American football circles. Gary Anderson is one of our claims to fame in this regard.
Hailing from Parys in the Free State, Anderson went on to study in the USA and was drafted for the NFL the first time in 1982. When playing for the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, Anderson became the first NFL kicker to convert each field goal and extra point in a regular season. To date, Anderson is the NFL’s 3rd highest points scorer in history at 2 434 points.
Honourable mentions (American football):
- Naas Botha
- Dieter Eiselen
- Derek Smethurst
- Jerome Pathon
- Ezra Butler
- Greg Joseph
- Ryan Pretorius
- Gerhard de Beer
- Carl Meyer
Amanda Coetzer – beating Graf’s no.1 32-match streak
Coetzer is not South Africa’s highest ranked tennis player, but she deserves her spot as one of the few female players to have made it big.
Coetzer finished in the top 20 WTA rankings for ten consecutive seasons and peaked at no.3. She reached 3 Grand Slam semifinals and 1 Grand Slam doubles final. She beat virtually all top players in 1992 and 1993, including no.1 (Steffi Graf), no.3 (Gabriala Sabatini), no.4 (Jana Navotna), no.5 (Mary Pierce) and no.7 (Jennifer Capriati).
Coetzer was the player to break Graf’s 32-match winning streak which earned her World Tennis Association Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award.
Honourable mentions (tennis):
- Johan Kriek
- Kevin Anderson
- Wayne Ferreira
- Kevin Curren
- Maries Kruger
- Cliff Drysdale
- Louis Raymond
- Frew McMillan
- Ilana Kloss
- Cliff Drysdale
- Bob Hewitt
- Syd Levy
- Frew McMillan
- Abe Segal
Benni McCarthy – 1st saffa to win the UEAFA Champions league
While McCarthy is not the highest ranked SA football star in the FIFA World rankings, he’s undoubtedly one of the most famous faces in this sport.
McCarthy is the only South African to have won the UEAFA Champions league while also snatching domestic titles for Ajax and Celta Vigo. He became SA’s top national scorer with 31 goals, and also the top scorer in the 1998 AFCON tournament.
Honourable mentions (soccer/football):
- Themba Zwane
- Lars Veldwijk
- Doctor Khumalo
- Neil Tovey
- Lucas Radebe
- Patrick Ntsoelengoe
- Steven Pienaar
- Ronwen Williams
- Mark Fish
- Teboho Mokoena
- Rivaldo Coetzee
Desire Wilson – only woman to win an F1 race
We know that most readers would want SA’s most famous face in motor racing – Jody Scheckter – mentioned here. But Wilson deserves her spot for achieving something no one else has.
She’s the first and only woman in history to have won a Formula One race in 1980 at the British Aurora F1 Championship. Her feat was so laudable that the Brands Hatch statium Formula One.
Honourable mentions (autosports incl. rally, endurance, drifting and motocross):
- Jody Scheckter
- Brad Binder
- Gordon Murray
- Samkeliso Thubane
- Basil van Rooyen
- Peter de Klerk
- Tony Maggs
- Greg Albertyn
- Rory Byrne
- Dave Charlton
- Giniel de Villiers
- Kayla Oliphant
- Jonathan Aberdein
- Tasmin Pepper
- Lance Woolridge
- Paddy Driver
- Doug Serrurier
- Grant Langston
- Wayde Young
- Tyla Rattray
- Ian Scheckter
- Jackie Pretorius
- Trevor Blokdyk
Bruce Fordyce – the runner and his records
There are few long-distance runenrs with a track record like Fordyce. He not only held the world record for 50 miles and 100 km for ages, but maintained his Comrades marathon record for 8 consecutive years.
Fordyce’s 50-mile record for the United States All Corners Race is still in place to this day. His world record in this distance stood uncontested from 1984 until 2019 when Jim Walmsley beat his time.
Honourable mentions (incl. long- and ultradistance running):
- Colleen de Reuck
- Elana Meyer
- Gerda Steyn
- David Tsebe
- Willie Mtolo
- Frith van der Merwe
- Gert Thys
- Xolile Yawa
- Elana Meyer
- Christopher Gitsham
- Josiah Thugwane
- Hendrik Tamaala
- Lusapho April
- Wally Hayward
- Jackie Mekler
- Gerald Walsh
- Dave Box
- Stephen Mokoka
- Shaun Maswanganyi
- Derek Kay
- Mavis Hutchinson
- Marie-Jean Dyuvejonck
Dricus du Plessis – SA’s first UFC champ
South Africa has produced a myriad of fighting champs over the years. From boxing and wrestling to mixed martial arts. Dricus has made a name for himself as the first South African to hold the UFC middleweight title. Not only that, but Dricus is also placed no.5 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
He started his career training in judo, followed by wrestling before settling on kickboxing at age 14. He was SA’s first medalist at the WAKO World Championships, earning a gold in K1 kickboxing at age 17.
Honourable mentions (martial arts incl. boxing, judo, kickboxing & wrestling):
- Corrie Sanders
- Cassius Baloyi
- Enoch Nhlapo
- Jake Tuli
- Clarence Walker
- Zolani Tete
- Hekkie Budler
- Thulani Malinga
- Vuyani Bungu
- Gerrie Coetzee
- Mzonke Fana
- Jacob Matlala
- Brian Mitchell
- Vic Toweel
- Daniel Bekker
- Joseph Brown (Young Pluto)
- Mike Bernardo
- Mzukisi Sikali
- Lawrence Stevens
Wayde van Niekerk – 100m, 200m, 300m & 400m streak
Our country has produced numerous great track athletes over the years but Van Niekerk is undoubtedly one of the best. What makes him so great is his versatility. While most athletes have one specialisation, van Niekerk takes on any challenge.
He is the only athlete in history to run the 100m in under 10 seconds, the 200m in under 20 seconds, the 300m in under 31 seconds and the 400m in under 44 seconds. He is the current world 400m record holder, having broken Michael Johnson’s 17-year title in 2016.
Honourable mentions (short & middle-distance incl. hurdles):
- Reggie Walker
- Caster Semenya
- Akani Simbine
- Gert Potgieter
- Hezekiel Sepeng
- Hendrick Mokganyetsi
- Ryan Mphahlele
- Simon Magakwe
- Andre Olivier
- Luvo Manyonga
- Zola Budd
- Johan Pretorius
- Frikkie van Zyl
- Hezekiel Sepeng
- Llewellyn Herbert
- Sinesipho Dambile
- Heide Seyerling-Quinn
- Ilze de Kock-Wicksell
- Esti Wittstock
- Carina Viljoen
- Elana Meyer
- Prudence Sekgodiso
- Marlene Breytenbach
Cathy O’Dowd – first woman to summit Everest from N & S
The world of extreme sports and ultra athletes is quite obscure, and yet there are several names that can make SA proud. Among these is Cathy O’Dowd.
Cathy began mountain climbing while studying at varsity and quickly excelled at the activity. O’Dowd was preparing to summit Everest when an extreme blizzard claimed the lives of 8 climbers on 11 May 1996. This delayed her team’s attempt, but she finally reached the summit on 25 May 1996 – the 1st South African to do so.
She summited Everest once more in 1999 – becoming the first woman in history to summit the mountain from both the north and the south sides.
Honourable mentions (incl. mountaineering, caving & extreme sports):
- Sibusiso Vilane (mountaineering)
- Brandon Valjalo (skateboarding)
- Braam Malherbe (multi-discipline ultrasports)
- Verna van Schaik (diving)
- Miyanda Maseti (women’s BMX racing)
- Candice Lil (MTB)
- Vincent Leygonie (BMX freestyle)
- Jean-marc Johannes (skateboarding)
- Thomas van Tonder (obstacle course racing)
- Tristan Purdon (motocross)
- Alan Hatherley (MTB)
- Brandon Valjalo (skateboarding)
- Brian Capper (stunt riding)
- Murray Loubser (BMX)
Okkert Brits – soaring to great heights
Okkert Brits may not be our top medal-earner, but he gets the spot for competing in a sport few dare their hand at – polevault.
Brits earned numerous gold medals at various championships over the years. Perhaps most impressive is the sheer length of his career. Brits earned his first gold medal at the African Championships in 1992, and would end his career with another gold at the same championships in 2006. He achieved his formal career best of 5,85m at the World Championships in France in 2003, earning him a silver medal.
Honourable mentions (field):
- Esther Brand
- Kelsey Lee Barber
- Frantz Kruger
- Hestrie Cloete
- Okkert Brits
- Luvo Manyonga
- Sunette Viljoen
- Maranelle du Toit
- Jacques Freitag
- Godfrey Khotso Mokoena
- Kate Dennison
Verna van Schaik – world record diver
When it comes to watersports we’ve quite a selection to choose from, yet Van Schaik’s name certainly deserves a spot here.
Her Bosemansgat cave dive on 25 October 2004 earned her the world record for the deepest dive by a woman diver at 221 m. Of course, the record Verna beat was none other than her own. What’s even more remarkable is that the entire dive took five-and-a-half hours to complete. While the descent took only 12 minutes, decompression stops required for safe ascent took up the rest of the time. Van Schaik also set the record for the deepest scuba dive at altitude (1 550m)
Honourable mentions (all water sports excl. swimming):
- Nuno Gomes
- Chris Bertish
- Bianca Buitendag
- Bridgitte Hartley
- Grame Pope-Ellis
- Shaun Rubenstein
- Grant Baker
- Heather Clark
- Chris Bertish
- Jordy Smith
- Andre BOtha
- Roxy Louw
- Martin Potter
- Shaun Tomson
- John Whitmore
- Michael February
- Rosie Hodge
Other names you may not have heard of…
- Olaf Kolzig – ice hockey (NHL)
- Barry Armitage – baseball (major league)
- Leana de Bruin – netball
- Harry Saner – epee fencing
- Henry Robert Steel – chess
- Ryan Gibson – sailing
- Michel Leusch – aerobatics
- Ioannis “JT” Theodosiou – esports
- Louis Meintjies – cycling
- Irene van Dyk – netball
- Rudi Ball – ice hockey (NHL)
- Jan Karsten – chess
- Wian Roux – archery
- Kirsten Neuschafer – sailing
- Patrick Davidson – acrobatic flying
- Vernon Willemse – stunt performer
- Willem Coertzen – decathlon
- Dan Hugo – triathlon
- Gonda Betrix – show jumping
- William Ronald Eland – weightlifting
- Aran “Sonik” Groesbeek – e-sports
- Daniel Cawdery – chess
- Johanita Scholtz – badminton
- Thati Zulu – hockey
- Danelle Wentzel – archery
- Reinardt Janse van Rensburg – cycling
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Sources:
- Medium
- Pantheon
- ESPN Africa
- NBA
- FIFA
- NFL
- My Broadband
- Wikipedia
- Red Bull Sports
- Ranker
- Athletics South Africa
- Runners World
- Citizen
- Comrades.com
- SA rugby legends
- Bleacher report
- Olympics.com
- Motorsport Magazine
- Business Live
- Soccerball World
- Sports Brief
- Formula1.com
- Salracing
- International Chess Federation
- World Archery
- Brand South Africa
- Give Me Sport
- Reliance ICC rankings
- Zapcricket.com
- Fiba basketball
- Modern Athlete
- Fox Sports
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- US News
- The Surf Bank
- Good Things Guy
- Fifa ratings
