Cape Town
Cape Town ranks 259th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind San José, Costa Rica, Belo Horizonte, and Birmingham, Alabama. The most famous people from Cape Town are J. M. Coetzee, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, and Abba Eban. The most famous people who died in Cape Town are Eddie Jordan, F. W. de Klerk, and Desmond Tutu. Cape Town has been the birth place of many athletes, and soccer players and the death place of many politicians, and writers. Cape Town is located in South Africa.
People
Between 0 and 2005, Cape Town was the birth place of 86 globally memorable people, including J. M. Coetzee, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, and Abba Eban. Additionaly, 31 globally memorable people have passed away in Cape Town including Eddie Jordan, F. W. de Klerk, and Desmond Tutu.
People Born in Cape Town
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J. M. Coetzee
WRITER
1940 - Present
HPI: 75.60
Rank: 1
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
NOBLEMAN
1942 - 2026
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 2
Abba Eban
POLITICIAN
1915 - 2002
HPI: 65.10
Rank: 3
Laurence Oliphant
WRITER
1829 - 1888
HPI: 60.60
Rank: 4
Ronald Harwood
WRITER
1934 - 2020
HPI: 59.93
Rank: 5
David Cooper
PHYSICIAN
1931 - 1986
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 6
Marlene Dumas
PAINTER
1953 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 7
Abdullah Ibrahim
MUSICIAN
1934 - Present
HPI: 59.08
Rank: 8
Trevor Jones
COMPOSER
1949 - Present
HPI: 58.18
Rank: 9
Margaret Gardiner
CELEBRITY
1959 - Present
HPI: 56.12
Rank: 10
Cecil Kellaway
ACTOR
1890 - 1973
HPI: 55.66
Rank: 11
Belle Delphine
YOUTUBER
1999 - Present
HPI: 54.34
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Cape Town
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Muhsin Hendricks
WRITER
HPI: 48.79
Rank: 25
Oliver Schmitz
FILM DIRECTOR
1960 - Present
HPI: 45.15
Rank: 30
Leon Botha
PAINTER
1985 - 2011
HPI: 42.48
Rank: 34
David O. Sacks
BUSINESSPERSON
1972 - Present
HPI: 40.91
Rank: 38
Sean Cameron Michael
ACTOR
1969 - Present
HPI: 39.50
Rank: 42
Stelio Savante
ACTOR
1970 - Present
HPI: 38.07
Rank: 46
Sarah Poewe
SWIMMER
1983 - Present
HPI: 37.58
Rank: 47
Robin Bell
ATHLETE
1977 - Present
HPI: 36.66
Rank: 49
Tanya van Graan
ACTOR
1983 - Present
HPI: 36.04
Rank: 51
Andy Flower
CRICKETER
1968 - Present
HPI: 35.71
Rank: 53
Kim Engelbrecht
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 35.17
Rank: 55
Morné Steyn
RUGBY PLAYER
1984 - Present
HPI: 31.17
Rank: 58
People Deceased in Cape Town
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Eddie Jordan
BUSINESSPERSON
1948 - 2025
HPI: 75.29
Rank: 1
F. W. de Klerk
POLITICIAN
1936 - 2021
HPI: 73.73
Rank: 2
Desmond Tutu
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1931 - 2021
HPI: 73.44
Rank: 3
John Vorster
POLITICIAN
1915 - 1983
HPI: 72.87
Rank: 4
J. G. Strijdom
POLITICIAN
1893 - 1958
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 5
Wilbur Smith
WRITER
1933 - 2021
HPI: 68.22
Rank: 6
Ian Smith
POLITICIAN
1919 - 2007
HPI: 66.29
Rank: 7
Jim Fouché
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1980
HPI: 65.53
Rank: 8
Nico Diederichs
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1978
HPI: 64.40
Rank: 9
Eben Dönges
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1968
HPI: 64.38
Rank: 10
Hendrik Verwoerd
POLITICIAN
1901 - 1966
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 11
Tom Naudé
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1969
HPI: 64.03
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Cape Town
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Irma Stern
ARTIST
1894 - 1966
HPI: 54.61
Rank: 23
Leon Botha
PAINTER
1985 - 2011
HPI: 42.48
Rank: 30
Chester Williams
RUGBY PLAYER
1970 - 2019
HPI: 41.34
Rank: 31
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Cape Townwere athletes (18), soccer players (15), actors (11), swimmers (6), and writers (4), while most who died were politicians (9), writers (4), biologists (2), racing drivers (2), and businesspeople (1).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, athletes have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Cape Town, including Robin Bell, James Thompson, and Bianca Buitendag. Whereas, throughout history, athletes have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Cape Town, including Stefan Mitrović, Robin Bell, and James Thompson.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 16 globally memorable people born in Cape Town since 1700.
