The Most Famous
FILM DIRECTORS from South Africa
This page contains a list of the greatest South African Film Directors. The pantheon dataset contains 1,581 Film Directors, 6 of which were born in South Africa. This makes South Africa the birth place of the 41st most number of Film Directors behind Finland and Serbia.
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary South African Film Directors of all time. This list of famous South African Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Jamie Uys (1921 - 1996)
With an HPI of 52.05, Jamie Uys is the most famous South African Film Director. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages on wikipedia.
Jacobus Johannes Uys ( ayss; 30 May 1921 – 29 January 1996), better known as Jamie Uys, was a South African film director, best known for directing the 1980 comedy film The Gods Must Be Crazy and its 1989 sequel The Gods Must Be Crazy II. Uys also directed the 1974 documentary film Animals Are Beautiful People.
2. Roger Michell (1956 - 2021)
With an HPI of 45.83, Roger Michell is the 2nd most famous South African Film Director. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Roger Michell (5 June 1956 – 22 September 2021) was a South African-born British theatre, television and film director. He was best known for directing films such as Notting Hill and Venus, as well as the 1995 made-for-television film Persuasion.
3. Neill Blomkamp (1979 - )
With an HPI of 43.59, Neill Blomkamp is the 3rd most famous South African Film Director. His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.
Neill Blomkamp (Afrikaans: [ˈnil ˈblɔmkamp]; born 17 September 1979) is a South African and Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He is known as the co-writer and director of the science fiction action film District 9 (2009), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the director of the dystopian science fiction action film Elysium (2013), which garnered moderately positive reviews. He also directed the science fiction action film Chappie (2015) and the sports drama film Gran Turismo (2023). Blomkamp employs a documentary-style, hand-held, cinéma vérité technique, blending naturalistic and photo-realistic computer-generated visual effects, and his films often deal with themes of xenophobia and social segregation. He is also known for his collaborations with actor Sharlto Copley. Time named Blomkamp as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2009. A 2011 article in Forbes named him as the 21st most powerful celebrity from Africa.
4. Gavin Hood (1963 - )
With an HPI of 42.57, Gavin Hood is the 4th most famous South African Film Director. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Gavin Hood (born 12 May 1963) is a South African filmmaker, and actor, best known for writing and directing Tsotsi (2005), which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. He also directed the films X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ender's Game, Eye in the Sky and Official Secrets.
5. Tosca Musk (1974 - )
With an HPI of 36.78, Tosca Musk is the 5th most famous South African Film Director. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Tosca Musk (born July 20, 1974) is a South African filmmaker. She is an executive producer and director of feature films, television programs, and web content. Her work includes K. Bromberg's Driven, Rachel van Dyken's Matchmaker's Playbook, and her web series, Tiki Bar TV. Tosca is the younger sister of Elon Musk and Kimbal Musk, and daughter of Errol Musk and Maye Musk. She co-founded the streaming service Passionflix.
6. Jonathan Liebesman (1976 - )
With an HPI of 32.49, Jonathan Liebesman is the 6th most famous South African Film Director. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Jonathan Liebesman (born 15 September 1976) is a South African film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films Darkness Falls (2003), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Battle: Los Angeles (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
Pantheon has 6 people classified as film directors born between 1921 and 1979. Of these 6, 4 (66.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living film directors include Neill Blomkamp, Gavin Hood, and Tosca Musk. The most famous deceased film directors include Jamie Uys and Roger Michell. As of April 2022, 2 new film directors have been added to Pantheon including Roger Michell and Tosca Musk.
Living Film Directors
Go to all Rankings
Neill Blomkamp
1979 - Present
HPI: 43.59
Gavin Hood
1963 - Present
HPI: 42.57
Tosca Musk
1974 - Present
HPI: 36.78
Jonathan Liebesman
1976 - Present
HPI: 32.49
