White South Africans

White South Africans generally refers to South Africans of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Dutch East India Company's original settlers, known as Afrikaners, and the Anglophone descendants of predominantly British colonists of South Africa. In 2016, 57.9% were native Afrikaans speakers, 40.2% were native English speakers, and 1.9% spoke another language as their mother tongue, such as Portuguese, Greek, or German. White South Africans are by far the largest population of White Africans. ''White'' was a legally defined racial classification during apartheid.

Most Afrikaners trace their ancestry back to the mid-17th century and have developed a separate cultural identity, including a distinct language. The majority of English-speaking White South Africans trace their ancestry to the 1820 British, Irish and Dutch Settlers. The remainder of the White South African population consists of later immigrants from Europe such as Greeks and Jews from Lithuania and Poland. Portuguese immigrants arrived after the collapse of the Portuguese colonial administrations in Mozambique and Angola, although many also originate from Madeira.

History

The history of White settlement in South Africa started in 1652 with the settlement of the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) under Jan van Riebeeck. Despite the preponderance of officials and colonists from the Netherlands, there were also a number of French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution at home and German soldiers or sailors returning from service in Asia. The Cape Colony remained under Dutch rule for two more centuries, after which it was annexed by the United Kingdom around 1806. At that time, South Africa was home to about 26,000 people of European ancestry, a relative majority of whom were still of Dutch origin. However, the Dutch settlers grew into conflict with the British government over the abolition of the slave trade and limits on colonial expansion into African lands. In order to prevent a frontier war, the British Parliament decided to send British settlers to start farms on the eastern frontier. Beginning in 1818 thousands of British settlers arrived in the growing Cape Colony, intending to join the local workforce or settle directly on the frontier. Ironically most of the farms failed due to the difficult terrain, forcing the British settlers to encroach on African land in order to practice pastoralism. About a fifth of the Cape's original Dutch-speaking white population migrated eastwards during the Great Trek in the 1830s and established their own autonomous Boer republics further inland. Nevertheless, the population of white ancestry (mostly European origin) continued increasing in the Cape as a result of settlement, and by 1865 had reached 181,592 people. Between 1880 and 1910, there was an influx of Jews (mainly via Lithuania) and immigrants from Lebanon and Syria arriving in South Africa. Recent immigrants from the Levant region of Western Asia were originally classified as Asian, and thus "non-white", but, in order to have the right to purchase land, they successfully argued that they were "white". The main reason being that they were from the lands where Christianity and Judaism originated from, and that the race laws did not target Jews, who were also a Semitic people. Therefore arguing that if the laws targeted other people from the Levant, it should also affect the Jews.

The first nationwide census in South Africa was held in 1911 and indicated a white population of 1,276,242. By 1936, there were an estimated 2,003,857 white South Africans, and by 1946 the number had reached 2,372,690. The country began receiving tens of thousands of European immigrants, namely from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, and the territories of the Portuguese Empire during the mid- to late twentieth century. South Africa's white population increased to over 3,408,000 by 1965, reached 4,050,000 in 1973, and peaked at 5,044,000 in 1990.

The number of white South Africans resident in their home country began gradually declining between 1990 and the mid-2000s as a result of increased emigration.

Whites continue to play a role in the South African economy and across the political spectrum. The current number of white South Africans is not exactly known, as no recent census has been measured, although the overall percentage of up to 9% of the population represents a decline, both numerically and proportionately, since the country's first non-racial elections in 1994. Just under a million white South Africans are also living as expatriate workers abroad, which forms the majority of South Africa's brain drain.

Apartheid era

Under the Population Registration Act of 1950, each inhabitant of South Africa was classified into one of several different race groups, of which White was one. The Office for Race Classification defined a white person as one who "in appearance is obviously a white person who is generally not accepted as a coloured person; or is generally accepted as a white person and is not in appearance obviously a white person." Many criteria, both physical (e.g. examination of head and body hair) and social (e.g. eating and drinking habits, familiarity with Afrikaans or a European language) were used when the board decided to classify someone as white or coloured. This was virtually extended to all those considered the children of two white persons, regardless of appearance. The Act was repealed on 17 June 1991.

Post-apartheid era

In an attempt at post-Apartheid redress, the Affirmative action#South Africa, Employment Equity Act of 1994, legislation promotes employment of people (Black Africans, Indian South Africans, Indian, Chinese South Africans, Chinese, Coloureds, Coloured and White South Africans, White population groups, as well as Disability, disabled people) according to the representation of their racial group as a proportion of the total South African population. Black Economic Empowerment legislation further empowers blacks as the government considers ownership, employment, training and social responsibility initiatives, which empower black South Africans, as important criteria when awarding Procurement, tenders; Private sector, private enterprises also must adhere to this legislation. Some reports indicate a growing number of whites in poverty compared to the pre-apartheid years and attribute this to such laws – a 2006 article in The Guardian stated that over 350,000 Afrikaners may be classified as poor, and alluded to research claiming that up to 150,000 were struggling for survival.

As a consequence of Apartheid policies, Whites are still widely regarded as being one of 4 defined race groups in South Africa. These groups (blacks, whites, Coloureds and Indians) still tend to have strong racial identities, and to identify themselves, and others, as members of these race groups and the classification continues to persist in government policy due to attempts at redress like Black Economic Empowerment and Employment Equity.

Diaspora and emigration

Since the 1990s, there has been a significant emigration of whites from South Africa. Between 1995 and 2005, more than one million South Africans emigrated, citing violence as the main reason, as well as the lack of employment opportunities for whites.

Current trends

In recent decades, there has been a steady proportional decline in South Africa's white community, due to List of countries and territories by fertility rate, higher birthrates among other South African ethnic groups, as well as a high rate of emigration. In 1977, there were 4.3 million whites, constituting 16.4% of the population at the time. As of 2016, it is estimated that at least 800,000 white South Africans have emigrated since 1995.

Like many other communities strongly affiliated with the Western culture, West and Europe's colonialism, colonial legacy in Africa, white South Africans were in the past often economically better off than their black African neighbours and have surrendered political dominance to majority rule. There were also some white Africans in South Africa who lived in poverty—especially during the 1930s and increasingly since the end of minority rule. Current estimates of white poverty in South Africa run as high as 12%, though fact-checking website Africa Check described these figures as "grossly inflated" and suggested that a more accurate estimate was that "only a tiny fraction of the white population – as few as 7,754 households – are affected."

The new phenomenon of white poverty is mostly blamed on the government's affirmative action employment legislation, which reserves 80% of new jobs for black people and favours companies owned by black people (see Black Economic Empowerment). In 2010, Reuters stated that 450,000 whites live below the poverty line according to Solidarity (South African trade union), Solidarity and civil organisations, with some research saying that up to 150,000 are struggling for survival. However, the proportion of white South Africans living in poverty is still much lower than for other groups in the country, since approximately 50% of the general population fall below the upper-bound Poverty threshold, poverty line.

A further concern has been crime. Some white South Africans living in affluent white suburbs, such as Sandton, have been affected by the 2008 13.5% rise in house robberies and associated crime. In a study, Johan Burger, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said that criminals were specifically targeting wealthier suburbs. Burger explained that several affluent suburbs are surrounded by poorer residential areas and that inhabitants in the latter often target inhabitants in the former. The report also found that residents in wealthy suburbs in Gauteng were not only at more risk of being targeted but also faced an inflated chance of being murdered during the robbery.

The Financial crisis of 2007–08, global financial crisis slowed the high rates of white people emigrating overseas and has led to increasing numbers of white emigrants returning to live in South Africa. Charles Luyckx, CEO of Elliot International and a board member of the Professional Movers Association, stated in December 2008 that emigration numbers had dropped by 10% in the six months prior. Meanwhile, "people imports" had increased by 50%.

In May 2014, Homecoming Revolution estimated that around 340,000 white South Africans had returned to South Africa in the preceding decade.

Furthermore, immigration from Europe has also supplemented the white population. The 2011 census found that 63,479 white people living in South Africa were born in Europe; of these, 28,653 had moved to South Africa since 2001.

At the end of apartheid in 1994, 85% of South Africa's arable land was owned by whites. The Land reform in South Africa, land reform program introduced after the end of apartheid intended that, within 20 years, 30% of white-owned Intensive farming, commercial farm land should be transferred to black owners. Thus, in 2011, the farmers' association, Agri South Africa, coordinated efforts to resettle farmers throughout the African continent. The initiative offered millions of hectares from 22 African countries that hoped to spur development of efficient commercial farming. The 30 percent target was not close to being met by the 2014 deadline. According to a 2017 government audit, 72% of the nation's private farmland is owned by white people. In February 2018, the Parliament of South Africa passed a motion to review the property ownership clause of the constitution, to allow for the Land reform in South Africa, expropriation of land, in the public interest, without compensation, which was supported within South Africa's ruling African National Congress on the grounds that the land was originally seized by whites without just compensation. In August 2018, the South African government began the process of taking two white-owned farmlands. Western Cape ANC secretary Faiez Jacobs referred to the property clause amendment as a "stick" to force dialogue about the transfer of land ownership, with the hope of accomplishing the transfer "in a way that is orderly and doesn't create a 'them' and 'us' [situation]."

Demographics

The Statistics South Africa South African National Census of 2011, Census 2011 showed that there were about 4,586,838 white people in South Africa, amounting to 8.9% of the country's population. This was a 6.8% increase since the 2001 census. According to the Census 2011, South African English is the first language of 36% of the white population group and Afrikaans is the first language of 61% of the white population group. The majority of white South Africans identify themselves as primarily ''South African'', regardless of their first language or ancestry.

Religion

Approximately 87% of white South Africans are Christianity in South Africa, Christian, 9% are Irreligion in South Africa, irreligious, and 1% are History of the Jews in South Africa, Jewish. The largest Christian denomination is the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK), Dutch Reformed Church (NGK), with 23% of the white population being members. Other significant denominations are the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Methodist Church (8%), the Roman Catholicism in South Africa, Roman Catholic Church (7%), and the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Anglican Church (6%).

Migrations

Many white Africans of European ancestry have migrated to South Africa from other parts of the continent due to political or economic turmoil in their respective homelands. Thousands of Portuguese Mozambicans, Portuguese Angolans, and white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. However, the overwhelming majority of European migration correlated with the historic colonization of the region (some migrating for the purpose of extraction of resources, minerals and other lucrative elements found in South Africa, others for a better life and farming opportunities without many restrictions in newly colonised lands).

Meanwhile, many white South Africans have also emigrated to Western countries over the past two decades, mainly to English-speaking world, English-speaking countries such as the South Africans in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, South African Australians, Australia and South African New Zealanders, New Zealand. However, the financial crisis has slowed the rate of emigration and in May 2014, the Homecoming Revolution estimated that around 340,000 white South Africans had returned in the preceding decade.

Distribution

According to Statistics South Africa, white South Africans make up 8.9% (Census 2011) of the total population in South Africa. Their actual proportional share in municipalities is likely to be higher, given the undercount in the 2001 census.

The following table shows the distribution of white people by Provinces of South Africa, province, according to the South African National Census of 2011, 2011 census:

Politics

White South Africans continue to participate in politics, having a presence across the whole political spectrum from left to right.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma commented in 2009 on Afrikaners being "the only white tribe in a black continent or outside of Europe which is truly African", and said that "of all the white groups that are in South Africa, it is only the Afrikaners that are truly South Africans in the true sense of the word''.''" These remarks have led to the Center for Constitutional Rights, Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) laying a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Commission against Zuma. According to the CCR's spokesman, Zuma's remarks constituted "unfair discrimination against non-Afrikaans-speaking, white South Africans....."

In 2015, a complaint was investigated for hate speech against Jacob Zuma who said "You must remember that a man called Jan van Riebeeck arrived here on 6 April 1652, and that was the start of the trouble in this country."

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki stated in one of his speeches to the nation that: "South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it. Black and White."

Prior to 1994, a white minority held complete political power under a system of racial segregation called apartheid. During apartheid, immigrants from Taiwan, Koreans in South Africa, South Korea, and Japanese people in South Africa, Japan were considered ''honorary whites'' in the country, as the government had maintained diplomatic relations with these countries. These were granted the same privileges as white people, at least for purposes of residence. Some African Americans such as Max Yergan were granted an "honorary white" status as well.

Statistics

Historical population

Statistics for the white population in South Africa vary greatly. Most sources show that the white population peaked in the period between 1989 and 1995 at around 5.2 to 5.6 million. Up to that point, the white population largely increased due to high birth rates and immigration. Subsequently, between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, the white population decreased overall. However, from 2006 to 2013, the white population increased.

Fertility rates

Contraception among white South Africans is stable or slightly falling: 80% used contraception in 1990, and 79% used it in 1998.
The following data shows some Total fertility rate, fertility rates recorded during South Africa's history. However, there are varied sources showing that the white fertility rate reached below replacement (2.1) by 1980. Likewise, recent studies show a range of fertility rates, ranging from 1.3 to 2.4. The Afrikaners tend to have a higher birthrate than that of other white people.

Life expectancy

The average life expectancy at birth for males and females

Unemployment

Income

Average annual household income by population group of the household head.

Percentage of workforce

Languages

Religion

Religion among white South Africans remains high compared to other white ethnic groups, but likewise it has shown a steady proportional drop in both membership and church attendance with until recently the majority of white South Africans attending regular church services.

Notable White South Africans

Science and technology

* Christiaan Barnard, surgeon who performed first successful Heart transplantation, human heart transplant
* Mike Botha, Diamond cutting, diamond cutter and educator; Yves Landry Award for Outstanding Innovation in Education, Canada
* Peter Sarnak, Princeton University, Princeton's Eugene Higgins professor of mathematics, specialising in number theory
* Stanley Skewes, mathematician whose work in number theory produced the record breaking Skewes number
* Percy Deift, mathematician specialising in analysis
* Sydney Brenner, biologist; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize, Physiology/Medicine 2002
* Michael Levitt, biophysics, biophysicist; Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize, Chemistry 2013
* Allan McLeod Cormack, physicist; Nobel Prize, Medicine 1979
* Gordon Murray, designer of Formula One car, Formula One race cars, including the Championship winning McLaren MP4/4 and the ultra-exclusive McLaren F1 Roadcar
* Elon Musk, entrepreneur and engineer: SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal; wealthiest person in the world as of August 2022
* Basil Schonland, physicist
* Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu (operating system), Ubuntu, a Linux based computer Operating system; first African in Outer space, space
* Neil Turok, Cosmology, cosmologist
* George F. R. Ellis, cosmologist
* Max Theiler, Virology, virologist; Nobel Prize for Medicine, Nobel Prize, Medicine 1951
* Phillip Tobias, Paleoanthropology, palaeo-anthropologist
*Seymour Papert, pioneer of artificial intelligence

Military

* Flight Lieutenant Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor Victoria Cross, VC, Distinguished Service Order, DSO, Military Cross, MC and Medal bar, bar, Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), DFC Flying ace, fighter ace, World War I, 1st World War
* Major William Bloomfield VC, East African campaign (World War I), South African East African campaign, 1st World War
* Captain William Faulds VC MC, Delville Wood, 1st World War
* Major John Frost (SAAF officer), John Frost DFC (UK), DFC, South African Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War
* Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Frederick Johnson Hayward VC, Western Front (World War I), Western Front, 1st World War
* Captain Petrus Hugo DSO DFC, fighter ace, Second World War
* Squadron Leader Albert Gerald Lewis DFC, South African fighter ace, 2nd World War
* Adolph Malan, Adolph "Sailor" Malan, Second World War ace fighter pilot
* Squadron Leader John Dering Nettleton VC, Battle of Britain
* Major Oswald Reid VC, 1st World War
* Captain Clement Robertson VC, Western Front
* Lieutenant Colonel John Sherwood-Kelly VC CMG DSO, Second Boer War, Bambatha Rebellion, 1st World War
* Captain Quentin Smythe VC, North African campaign, North Africa 2nd World War
* Major Edwin Swales Victoria Cross, VC DFC (UK), DFC, pilot during the Second World War
* Lieutenant Kevin Winterbottom Honoris Crux (1975), HC, South African Air Force
* Staff Sergeant Danny Roxo HC, 32 Battalion (South Africa), 32 Battalion, South African Army
* General Constand Viljoen Star of South Africa (1952), SSA Southern Cross Decoration, SD South African Police Star for Outstanding Service, SOE Southern Cross Medal (1952), SM Military Merit Medal (South Africa), MMM MP, former List of South African military chiefs, South African military chief and former leader of the Freedom Front Plus
*Air Vice Marshal John Howe (RAF officer), John Frederick George Howe, CB, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Air Force Cross (United Kingdom), AFC (26 March 1930 – 27 January 2016)

Royalty and aristocracy

* Charlene, Princess of Monaco
* Bruce Murray, 12th Duke of Atholl

Arts and media

* Jani Allan, columnist and radio commentator
* Melinda Bam, Miss South Africa 2011
* Joyce Barker, opera singer - soprano
* David Benatar, philosopher, academic and author
* Carl Beukes, actor
* David Bateson, voice actor in the ''Hitman (franchise), Hitman'' video game series
* Bok van Blerk, singer
* Neill Blomkamp, director
* Herman Charles Bosman, writer
* Johan Botha (tenor), Johan Botha, opera singer - tenor
* Breyten Breytenbach, writer and painter
* Andre Brink, novelist
* Johnny Clegg, musician noted for performing in Juluka and Savuka
* Penelope Coelen, Miss World 1958
* Mimi Coertse, soprano - opera singer
* J. M. Coetzee, novelist; Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize, Literature 2003
* Megan Coleman, Miss South Africa 2006
* Elizabeth Connell, opera singer - mezzo soprano, soprano
* Sharlto Copley, actor
* John Cranko, ballet dancer and choreographer
* Robyn Curnow, CNN International's anchor
* Riaan Cruywagen, South African International News anchor, TV presenter and voice artist
* Frederick Dalberg, opera singer - bass
* Embeth Davidtz, actress, South African Americans, South African-American, born to South African parents in Indiana
* Kurt Darren, singer
* Theuns Jordaan, South African singer
* Izak Davel, actor, dancer, singer and model
* André Lötter, actor, emcee/ anchor & speaker
* Die Antwoord, band; Hip house, rap-rave group formed in Cape Town
* Collette Dinnigan, South African born fashion designer.
* Kim Engelbrecht, actress
* Elisabeth Eybers, poet
* Duncan Faure, singer-songwriter and musician
* Nicole Flint, Miss South Africa 2008
* Athol Fugard, playwright
* Edwin Gagiano, South African-born actor, model, filmmaker, singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles.
* Dean Geyer, actor and singer
* Goldfish (band), Goldfish, electronic duo originating from Cape Town.
* Nadine Gordimer, writer; Nobel Prize, Literature 1991
* Stefans Grové, composer and writer
* Cariba Heine, actress
* Snotkop, François Henning, singer
* Sonja Herholdt, recording artist
* Jacques Imbrailo, opera singer - baritone
* Sid James, actor, ''Carry On (film series), Carry On'' List of Carry On films cast members, team
* Trevor Jones (composer), Trevor Jones, composer
* Ingrid Jonker, poet
* John Joubert (composer), John Joubert, composer
* Peter Klatzow, composer
* Gé Korsten, opera singer - tenor, actor
* Alice Krige, actress
* Antjie Krog, writer
* Kongos (band), Kongos; Band (rock and pop), rock band
* Caspar Lee, YouTuber, actor
* Josh Pieters, Youtuber
* Locnville, electro hop music duo
* Lara Logan, journalist and war correspondent
* Eugène Marais, Eugène Nielen Marais, poet, writer, lawyer and naturalist
* Monica Mason, ballet dancer and director of the The Royal Ballet, Royal Ballet
* Dalene Matthee, writer
* Dave Matthews, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
* Deon Meyer, writer
* Shaun Morgan, singer and guitarist for the rock band Seether
* Marita Napier, opera singer - soprano
* Anton Nel, pianist
* Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss Universe 2017
* The Parlotones, indie rock band from Johannesburg
* Alan Paton, writer
* Graham Payn, actor, singer
* Madelaine Petsch, actress, model, YouTuber
* Sasha Pieterse, actress in the hit American Broadcasting Company, ABC family series ''Pretty Little Liars''
* Brendan Peyper, singer
* Tanit Phoenix, actress, fashion model
* Hubert du Plessis, composer
* William Plomer, novelist, poet and literary editor
*Sir Laurens van der Post, controversial author, Conservation movement, conservationist, explorer, journalist and confidant to Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, The Prince of Wales
* Behati Prinsloo, Supermodel, model
* Trevor Rabin, musician and composer, member of the rock band Yes (band), Yes
* Basil Rathbone, actor
* J. R. Rotem, productor, songwriter and music publisher
* Neil Sandilands, actor, director and cinematographer
* Stelio Savante American Movie Award-winning and Screen Actors Guild Award, SAG-nominated actor
* Olive Schreiner, South African writer, remembered for her novel ''The Story of an African Farm'' (1883).
* Leon Schuster, comedian, filmmaker, actor, presenter and singer
* Sir Antony Sher, actor
* Troye Sivan, YouTuber, singer (half Australian)
* Cliff Simon, actor and athlete
* Phyllis Spira, ballerina, Prima Ballerina Assoluta
* Winston Sterzel, YouTuber, first China vlogger and cofounder of ADVChina
* Gerhard Steyn, singer
* Miriam Stockley, singer
* Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014
* Tammin Sursok, actress, born in South Africa, but raised in Australia
* Candice Swanepoel, Supermodel, model.
* Esta TerBlanche, actress and model
* Charlize Theron, Academy Awards, Academy Award-winning actor
* ZP Theart, former singer for the British power metal band DragonForce, former singer for the American rock band Skid Row (American band), Skid Row and singer for the British heavy metal band I Am I (band), I Am I
* Elize du Toit, actress
* Totius (poet), Jakob Daniël du Toit, poet
* Pieter-Dirk Uys, performer and List of satirists and satires, satirist, creator of ''Evita Bezuidenhout''
* Musetta Vander, actress
* Kevin Volans, composer and pianist
* Arnold Vosloo, actor
* Casper de Vries, comedian
* Justine Waddell, actress
* Deon van der Walt, opera singer - tenor
* Kyle Watson (musician), Kyle Watson, record producer and DJ.
* Amira Willighagen, soprano and philanthropist
* Arnold van Wyk, composer
* N. P. van Wyk Louw, poet
* St. Lucia (musician), Jean-Philip Grobler, South African-born musician and singer from a New York-based Indie electronic, Indietronica band St. Lucia (musician).

Business

* Etienne de Villiers, investor; media and sports executive
* Ivan Glasenberg, CEO of Glencore Xstrata, one of the world's largest Commodity market, commodity trading and List of mining companies, mining companies
* Sol Kerzner, accountant and business magnate mainly in the Casino hotel, casino resort sector
* Harry Oppenheimer, chairman of Anglo American Corporation for 25 years and De Beers Consolidated Mines for 27 years
* Nicky Oppenheimer, chairman of the De Beers diamond mining company and its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company
* Anton Rupert, founder of the Rembrandt Group
* Johann Rupert, chairman of the Swiss-based Luxury goods, luxury-goods company Richemont and South Africa-based company Remgro
* Desmond Sacco, Chairman and managing director of Assore Limited
* Christo Wiese, consumer Retail business magnate

Politics

* Louis Botha, farmer, soldier, statesman; first Prime Minister of South Africa
* P. W. Botha, former State President of South Africa
* F. W. de Klerk, former State President of South Africa
* Marike de Klerk, former First Lady of South Africa, murdered in her home in 2001
* Patrick Duncan (South African politician), Sir Patrick Duncan Governor-General of South Africa, Governor-General at the start of the Second World War
* Ruth First, anti-apartheid activist and scholar
* Sir James Percy FitzPatrick, author, politician and businessman
* Derek Hanekom, Deputy Minister of Technology; prominent African National Congress, ANC member of Parliament
* Nicholas Haysom, Former legal adviser to Nelson Mandela, former United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan
*Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor of Cape Town
*Sandra Laing, white girl reclassified as "Coloured" during the apartheid era
* D. F. Malan, former Prime Minister of South Africa
* Pieter Mulder, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries; leader of the Freedom Front Plus
* Andries Pretorius, former leader of the Voortrekkers who was instrumental in the creation of the South African Republic
* Harry Schwarz, lawyer, politician, diplomat and anti-apartheid leader
* Joe Slovo, former leader of the South African Communist Party played key part in Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa, constitutional negotiations in the 1990s
* Field Marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Jan Smuts, soldier, politician and former Prime Minister of South Africa during both World war, World Wars. Only person to sign both world War peace treaties on the winning side.
* Jan Steytler, first leader of Progressive Party (South Africa), Progressive Party of South Africa, former MP
* Helen Suzman, Anti-Apartheid Movement, anti-apartheid activist and Parliament of South Africa, former MP, solo anti-apartheid parliamentarian from 1961 to 1974 representing Progressive Party (South Africa), served on first Independent Electoral Commission (South Africa), Independent Electoral Commission supervising first non-racial national elections in South Africa
* Colin Eglin, former leader of the Progressive Party (South Africa) and its successors and former MP, played key role in building up parliamentary opposition to apartheid in the 1970s and 1980s, and in constitutional negotiations in the 1990s
* Zach de Beer, former Progressive Party (South Africa) MP, subsequent leader of Democratic Party (South Africa, 1973), Democratic Party and post-apartheid ambassador to The Netherlands, also played key part in constitutional negotiations in the 1990s
* Rick Crouch, City Councillor in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
* Eugène Terre'Blanche, former leader of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging; murdered
* Marthinus van Schalkwyk, previous Minister of Tourism and ANC member of Parliament; played a key role in merging the National Party (South Africa), National Party into the ANC
* Hendrik Verwoerd, former Prime Minister of South Africa; primary architect of Apartheid; assassinated in Cape Town, in the House of Assembly of South Africa, House of Assembly
* Helen Zille, former leader of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance and Premier of the Western Cape

Sport

* Andrew Surman
* Willem Alberts, professional rugby player
* Kevin Anderson (tennis), Kevin Anderson, professional tennis player
* Clive Barker (soccer), Clive Barker, former footballer and football coach, led the South Africa national football team to victory in the 1996 African Cup of Nations
* Matthew Booth (soccer), Matthew Booth, former footballer
* Francois Botha, Professional boxing, professional boxer
* Michael Botha, professional rugby player
* Mark Boucher, former professional cricketer
* Vincent Breet, rower
* Okkert Brits, former pole vaulter, holds the African record and only African in the "6 metres club"
* Schalk Brits, professional rugby player
* Zola Budd, former track and field runner, broke the world record in the women's 5000 metres, 5000 m twice in under three years
* Schalk Burger, former professional rugby player
* Jan-Henning Campher, rugby player
* Bradley Carnell, former footballer
* Gerrie Coetzee, former boxer, first boxer from Africa to win a World heavyweight titles, world heavyweight title
* Tony Coyle, former footballer
* Hansie Cronje, professional cricketer
* Lood de Jager, professional rugby player
* Faf de Klerk, professional rugby player
* Quinton de Kock, professional cricketer
* Roger De Sá, former footballer
* AB de Villiers, professional batsman
* Giniel de Villiers, Auto racing, racing driver and winner of the 2009 Dakar Rally
* Jean de Villiers, former professional rugby player
* Allan Donald, professional cricketer
* Faf du Plessis, professional cricketer
* Natalie du Toit, paralympian swimmer
* Pieter-Steph du Toit, professional rugby player
* Thomas du Toit, professional rugby player
* Ernie Els, professional golfer, former Official World Golf Rankings#Number 1 ranked golfers, World No. 1 and winner of four Men's major golf championships, Majors
* Eben Etzebeth, professional rugby player
* Brett Evans, former footballer and current football coach
* Paul Evans (footballer, born 1973), Paul Evans, former footballer
* Rowen Fernández, former footballer
* Lyndon Ferns, former swimmer and Olympic gold medal, gold medallist in the 4 × 100 metres relay, 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
* Wayne Ferreira, former tennis player
* Mark Fish, former footballer
* Dean Furman, footballer, captain of South African team
* Retief Goosen, professional golfer, twice U.S. Open (golf), US Open champion
* Penelope Heyns, Penny Heyns, former swimmer, the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events, at the 1996 Summer Olympics
* Pierre Issa, former footballer
* Liam Jordan, footballer
* Steven Kitshoff, professional rugby player
* Vincent Koch, professional rugby player
* Johan Kriek, former professional tennis player and winner of the 1981 Australian Open
* Jesse Kriel, professional rugby player
* Patrick Lambie, former professional rugby player
* Grant Langston (motorcyclist), Grant Langston, former professional motocross rider who competed in Europe and the US
* Chad le Clos, swimmer and gold medalist in the 200m Butterfly stroke, butterfly at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
* Adam Rose, Raymond Leppan, Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, formerly signed with World Wrestling Entertainment performing under the name "Adam Rose"
* Paul Lloyd Jr., professional wrestler, formerly signed with World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the name Justin Gabriel
* Francois Louw, professional rugby player
* Calvin Marlin, former footballer
* Malcolm Marx, professional rugby player
* Victor Matfield, former professional rugby player
* Hank McGregor, Surf ski, surf skier and kayak marathon champion
* Elana Meyer, former Long-distance running, long-distance runner, set 15 km road running and half marathon African records
* Percy Montgomery, former rugby union player and current record holder for both cap (sport), caps and points for the South Africa national rugby union team, Springboks
* Albie Morkel, cricketer
* Morne Morkel, cricketer
* Franco Mostert, professional rugby player
* Karen Muir, former swimmer
* Franco Naudé, professional rugby player
* Ryk Neethling, former swimmer and gold medallist in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
* Ricardo Nunes, footballer
* Louis Oosthuizen, professional golfer, winner of 2010 Open Championship
* François Pienaar, former captain of the South Africa national rugby union team, Springboks, leading South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup
* Kevin Pietersen, former England international cricketer
* Gary Player, professional golfer
* Oscar Pistorius, former Paralympic Games, paralympic athlete; convicted of the murder of his girlfriend
* Handré Pollard, professional rugby player
* Jacques Potgieter, former professional rugby player
* Gary Player, former professional golfer, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf
* André Pretorius, former rugby player
* Cobus Reinach, professional rugby player
* Jonty Rhodes, professional cricketer
* Glen Salmon, former footballer
* Corrie Sanders, in 2003 became the World Boxing Organization, WBO heavyweight champion; murdered in 2012
* Jody Scheckter, former Formula One auto-racer and winner of 1979 Formula One season
* Louis Schreuder, professional rugby player
* Roland Schoeman, swimmer and gold medallist in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
* Charl Schwartzel, professional golfer and winner of the 2011 Masters Tournament
* Dillon Sheppard, former footballer
* Jan Serfontein, professional rugby player
* Dillon Sheppard, former footballer
* John Smit, former captain of the South Africa national rugby union team, Springboks, leading South Africa to victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
* Graeme Smith, former captain of the South Africa national cricket team, Proteas
* Kwagga Smith, professional rugby player
* R.G. Snyman, professional rugby player
* Dale Steyn, cricket pace bowler
* Carla Swart, collegiate cyclist, won nineteen individual and team cycling titles
* Eric Tinkler, former footballer
* Neil Tovey, former captain of the South Africa national football team, leading the team to victory in the 1996 African Cup of Nations
* Darian Townsend, swimmer and gold medallist in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics
* Andrew Tucker (footballer), Andrew Tucker, former footballer
* Hans Vonk (footballer), Hans Vonk, former footballer, South Africa national football team, South Africa's first choice goalkeeper during 1998 Fifa World Cup
* Cameron van der Burgh, swimmer who represented South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics and at the 2012 Summer Olympics winning gold at the 100-meter breaststroke in a new world record
* Rassie van der Dussen, professional cricketer
* Janine van Wyk, footballer and captain of South Africa women's national football team
* Duane Vermeulen, professional rugby player
* Douglas Whyte, horse racing jockey, 13-time Hong Kong champion jockey
* Ivan Winstanley, former footballer
* Neil Winstanley, former footballer

Other

* Mariette Bosch, murderer executed by the Politics of Botswana, government of Botswana in 2001 for the murder of South African Ria Wolmarans
* Henri van Breda, murderer who killed his parents and brother in January 2015

See also

* White Africans of European ancestry
* Bantu peoples of South Africa
* Coloureds
* Cape Malay
* Afrikaners
* History of South Africa
* Portuguese South Africans
* Greek South Africans
* Huguenots in South Africa
* 1820 settlers
* Italian South Africans
* Irish diaspora
* Khoisan
* Asian South Africans
* Indian South Africans
* Japanese South Africans
* Chinese South Africans
* Serbs in South Africa
* Norwegian South Africans
* History of the Jews in South Africa

References

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White South African people,
European South African,
South African people of European descent,
European diaspora in Africa, South Africa
Ethnic groups in South Africa