List of South African writers

A

• Lionel Abrahams
• Peter Abrahams
• Rehane Abrahams
• Wilna Adriaanse
• Tatamkulu Afrika, born in Egypt
• Lawrence Anthony
• Hennie Aucamp
• Diane Awerbuck

  B

• C. Johan Bakkes
• Christiaan Bakkes
• Margaret Bakkes
• Jillian Becker
• Shabbir Banoobhai
• Lady Anne Barnard
• Lesley Beake
• Mark Behr, South Africa/Tanzania
• Dricky Beukes
• Lauren Beukes
• Steve Biko
• Troy Blacklaws
• François Bloemhof
• Elleke Boehmer
• Stella Blakemore
• William Bolitho, author and biographer
• Diphete Bopape
• Herman Charles Bosman
• Alba Bouwer
• Johanna Brandt
• Breyten Breytenbach
• André Brink
• Babette Brown
• Dennis Brutus
• Guy Butler

  C–D

• Roy Campbell
• Cecile Cilliers
• Stuart Cloete
• J.M. Coetzee, awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Bryce Courtenay
• Jeremy Cronin
• Patrick Cullinan
• Achmat Dangor
• Ingrid de Kok
• Phillippa Yaa de Villiers
• Rolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo
• Finuala Dowling
• Graham Downs
• Zebulon Dread
• K. Sello Duiker

  E–G

• Tony Eprile, born in Johannesburg, lives in the US
• Ahmed Essop, born in India, grew up in Johannesburg
• Elisabeth Eybers
• Mary Faulkner
• Ruth First
• Sir Percy FitzPatrick
• Charles J. Fourie
• Lynn Freed
• Dave Freer
• Graeme Friedman
• Athol Fugard
• Sheila Fugard born in England
• Damon Galgut
• Nadine Gordimer, awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
• Khaya Gqibitole
• Stephen Gray
• Michael Cawood Green
• Miriam Green, an academic now living in England
• Mafika Gwala

  H–J

• Megan Hall
• Joan Hambidge
• Bessie Head, born in South Africa but usually seen as a Botswanan writer
• Cat Hellisen
• Manu Herbstein
• Christopher Hope
• Emma Huismans
• Robin Hyde, born in South Africa but usually seen as a New Zealand writer
• Mhlobo Jadezweni
• Cynthia Jele
• Ingrid Jonker
• Archibald Campbell Jordan
• Elsa Joubert
• Gideon Joubert
• Amy Jephta

  K–L

• John Christoffel Kannemeyer
• Farida Karodia
• Anne Kellas, also connected with Australia
• Keorapetse Kgositsile
• Robert Kirby
• Antjie Krog
• Mazisi Kunene
• Richard Kunzmann
• Ellen Kuzwayo
• Alex La Guma
• David Lambkin, born in the United Kingdom
• Anne Landsman
• Mandla Langa
• C.J. Langenhoven
• Greg Lazarus
• Etienne Leroux
• Douglas Livingstone, born in Malaysia

  M

• M.E.R.
• Rozena Maart
• E. S. Madima
• Tenda Madima
• Sindiwe Magona
• Arthur Maimane
• Angela Makholwa
• Rian Malan
• Nelson Mandela
• Eugène Marais
• John Mateer, also connected with Australia
• Mark Mathabane
• Todd Matshikiza
• Don Mattera
• Dalene Matthee
• James McClure
• Michelle McGrane, born in Zimbabwe
• Zakes Mda
• Joan Metelerkamp
• Deon Meyer
• Thando Mgqolozana
• Niq Mhlongo
• Gcina Mhlophe
• Kirsten Miller
• Bloke Modisane
• Natalia Molebatsi
• Casey Motsisi
• Phaswane Mpe
• Es'kia Mphahlele
• Samuel E. K. Mqhayi
• Lidudumalingani Mqombothi
• Oswald Mtshali
• Ena Murray
• Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa

  N–R

• Njabulo Ndebele
• Lauretta Ngcobo
• Christopher Robert Nicholson
• Lisa de Nikolits
• Lewis Nkosi
• Arthur Nortje
• Sibusiso Nyembezi
• Joy Packer
• Raj Patel
• Alan Paton
• Sol T. Plaatje
• Christine Qunta
• Jan Rabie
• Mary Renault
• Richard Rive
• Dan Roodt
• Daphne Rooke
• Henrietta Rose-Innes
• Eric Rosenthal

  S

• Mary Sadler
• Riana Scheepers
• Karel Schoeman
• Alan Scholefield
• Patricia Schonstein
• Olive Schreiner
• Sipho Sepamla
• Mongane Wally Serote
• Ishtiyaq Shukri
• Gillian Slovo
• Adam Small
• Russell Smith, born in South Africa, raised and lives in Canada
• Wilbur Smith
• Jason Staggie
• Willem Steenkamp
• Sylvester Stein
• Jonny Steinberg
• Cynthia Stockley
• Harold Strachan
• Barry Streek
• Stefan Swanepoel, raised in South Africa and now lives in United States

  T–V

• Can Themba
• Miriam Tlali
• J.R.R. Tolkien, born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State ; raised and lived in England
• John van de Ruit
• Sir Laurens van der Post
• Etienne van Heerden
• John van Melle, born in the Netherlands
• Marlene van Niekerk
• Charles van Onselen
• Christopher van Wyk
• F.A. Venter
• Nicolaas Vergunst
• Benedict Vilakazi
• Lettie Viljoen
• A.G. Visser
• Wayne Visser
• Ivan Vladislavic
• Gert Vlok Nel
• Eugène Terre'Blanche

  W–Z

• Alf Wannenburgh
• Zukiswa Wanner
• Lyall Watson
• Mary Watson
• Stephen Watson
• Zoe Wicomb
• Mark Winkler
• David Yudelman
• Rachel Zadok, London-based
• Rose Zwi, born in Mexico