COMPOSERS from South Africa

Top 2

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary South African Composers of all time. This list of famous South African Composers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Trevor Jones (1949 - )

With an HPI of 50.87, Trevor Jones is the most famous South African Composer.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.

Trevor Alfred Charles Jones (born 23 March 1949) is a South African composer of film and television scores. Having spent much of his career in the United Kingdom, Jones has worked on numerous well-known and acclaimed films including Excalibur, Runaway Train, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Mississippi Burning, The Last of the Mohicans, and In the Name of the Father; collaborating with filmmakers like John Boorman, Andrei Konchalovsky, Jim Henson, and Michael Mann. He has composed for numerous films and his music has been critically acclaimed for both its depth and emotion, and he has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and three BAFTA Awards for Best Film Music.

2. Enoch Sontonga (1873 - 1905)

With an HPI of 40.96, Enoch Sontonga is the 2nd most famous South African Composer.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (c. 1873 – 18 April 1905) was a South African composer, who is best known for writing the Xhosa hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (English: "God Bless Africa"), which, in abbreviated version, has been sung as the first half of the national anthem of South Africa since 1994. Previously, it had been the official anthem of the African National Congress since 1925. It was also adopted by South Africa's newly formed northern neighbour, Zimbabwe and translated into Shona, "Ishe Komborera Afrika" from 1980 until 1994.