Cape Town
Cape Town ranks 259th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind San José, Costa Rica, Belo Horizonte, and Birmingham, Alabama. Memorable people born in Cape Town include J. M. Coetzee, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, and Abba Eban. Memorable people who died in Cape Town include Tom Naudé, Moira Lister, and Louisa Bolus. 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.
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 0 and 2005, Cape Town was the birth place of 73 globally memorable people, including J. M. Coetzee, Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, and Abba Eban. Additionaly, 28 globally memorable people have passed away in Cape Town including Tom Naudé, Moira Lister, and Louisa Bolus.
People Born in Cape Town
Go to all RankingsJ. M. Coetzee
WRITER
1940 - Present
HPI: 75.60
Rank: 63
Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark
NOBLEMAN
1942 - Present
HPI: 69.20
Rank: 37
Abba Eban
POLITICIAN
1915 - 2002
HPI: 65.10
Rank: 7
Laurence Oliphant
WRITER
1829 - 1888
HPI: 60.60
Rank: 73
Ronald Harwood
WRITER
1934 - 2020
HPI: 59.93
Rank: 6
David Cooper
PHYSICIAN
1931 - 1986
HPI: 59.15
Rank: 52
Marlene Dumas
PAINTER
1953 - Present
HPI: 59.14
Rank: 47
Abdullah Ibrahim
MUSICIAN
1934 - Present
HPI: 59.08
Rank: 39
Trevor Jones
COMPOSER
1949 - Present
HPI: 58.18
Rank: 38
Margaret Gardiner
CELEBRITY
1959 - Present
HPI: 56.12
Rank: 65
Cecil Kellaway
ACTOR
1890 - 1973
HPI: 55.66
Rank: 5
Belle Delphine
MODEL
1999 - Present
HPI: 54.34
Rank: 66
People Deceased in Cape Town
Go to all RankingsTom Naudé
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1969
HPI: NaN
Rank: 1
Moira Lister
ACTOR
1923 - 2007
HPI: 47.44
Rank: 2
Louisa Bolus
BIOLOGIST
1877 - 1970
HPI: NaN
Rank: 3
Jim Fouché
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1980
HPI: NaN
Rank: 4
Frank Watson Dyson
ASTRONOMER
1868 - 1939
HPI: NaN
Rank: 5
Willie Toweel
BOXER
1934 - 2017
HPI: NaN
Rank: 6
Christian Friedrich Ecklon
BIOLOGIST
1795 - 1868
HPI: NaN
Rank: 7
Eddie Jordan
BUSINESSPERSON
1948 - 2025
HPI: NaN
Rank: 8
Mary Renault
WRITER
1905 - 1983
HPI: NaN
Rank: 9
Nico Diederichs
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1978
HPI: NaN
Rank: 10
Colin Davis
RACING DRIVER
1933 - 2012
HPI: NaN
Rank: 11
Bruce Johnstone
RACING DRIVER
1937 - 2022
HPI: NaN
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Cape Town
Go to all RankingsTom Naudé
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1969
HPI: NaN
Rank: 1
Louisa Bolus
BIOLOGIST
1877 - 1970
HPI: NaN
Rank: 3
Jim Fouché
POLITICIAN
1898 - 1980
HPI: NaN
Rank: 4
Frank Watson Dyson
ASTRONOMER
1868 - 1939
HPI: NaN
Rank: 5
Willie Toweel
BOXER
1934 - 2017
HPI: NaN
Rank: 6
Christian Friedrich Ecklon
BIOLOGIST
1795 - 1868
HPI: NaN
Rank: 7
Eddie Jordan
BUSINESSPERSON
1948 - 2025
HPI: NaN
Rank: 8
Mary Renault
WRITER
1905 - 1983
HPI: NaN
Rank: 9
Nico Diederichs
POLITICIAN
1903 - 1978
HPI: NaN
Rank: 10
Colin Davis
RACING DRIVER
1933 - 2012
HPI: NaN
Rank: 11
Bruce Johnstone
RACING DRIVER
1937 - 2022
HPI: NaN
Rank: 12
Victor d'Arcy
ATHLETE
1887 - 1961
HPI: NaN
Rank: 13
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Cape Town were athletes (17), soccer players (15), actors (7), swimmers (5), and tennis players (4), while most who died were politicians (10), writers (4), biologists (2), racing drivers (2), and actors (1).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, soccer players have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Cape Town, including Benni McCarthy, Quinton Fortune, and Anele Ngcongca. Whereas, throughout history, athletes have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Cape Town, including Stefan Mitrović, James Thompson, and Bianca Buitendag.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 13 globally memorable people born in Cape Town since 1700.