| 1. | Nelson Mandela, first president of democratic South Africa and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner (1918 - ) |
| 2. | Christiaan Barnard, pioneering heart transplant surgeon (1922 - 2001) |
| 3. | F. W. de Klerk, former president and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner (1936 - ) |
| 4. | Mahatma Gandhi, political activist (1869 - 1948) |
| 5. | Nkosi Johnson, child who died of AIDS (1989 - 2001) |
| 6. | Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, politician and 2nd wife of Nelson Mandela (1936 - ) |
| 7. | Thabo Mbeki, current president (1942 - ) |
| 8. | Gary Player, golfer (1936 - ) |
| 9. | Jan Smuts, statesman (1870 - 1950) |
| 10. | Desmond Tutu, cleric and Nobel Peace Prize winner (1931 - ) |
| 11. | Hansie Cronje, cricketer (1969 - 2002) |
| 12. | Charlize Theron, actress and Academy Award winner (1975 - ) |
| 13. | Steve Biko, nonviolent political activist (1946 - 1977) |
| 14. | Shaka, founder of the Zulu nation (1787 - 1828) |
| 15. | Mangosuthu Buthelezi, politician and a Zulu prince (1928 - ) |
| 16. | Tony Leon, politician (1956 - ) |
| 17. | Brenda Fassie, singer (1964 - 2004) |
| 18. | Mark Shuttleworth, Web entrepreneur, founder of Thawte, distributor of Ubuntu Linux and second fee paying space tourist (1973 - ) |
| 19. | Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, former prime minister and primary architect of Apartheid (1901 - 1966) |
| 20. | Chris Hani, political activist who was Secretary General of the SACP when he was assassinated (1942 - 1993) |
| 21. | Bonginkosi Dlamini, also known as "Zola", poet, actor and musician |
| 22. | Patricia de Lille, politician (1951 - ) |
| 23. | Johnny Clegg, also known as "The White Zulu", musician (1953 - ) |
| 24. | Helen Suzman, stateswoman (1917 - ) |
| 25. | Eugène Terre'Blanche, white supremacist and founder of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (1941 - ) |
| 26. | Pieter Dirk Uys political satirist and entertainer (1945 - ) |
| 27. | Paul Kruger, four times president of South African Republic (1825 - 1904) |
| 28. | Anton Rupert, businessman and environmentalist (1916 - 2006) |
| 29. | Jonty Rhodes, cricketer (1969 - ) |
| 30. | Leon Schuster, filmmaker, comedian, actor and prankster (entertainer) |
| 31. | Oliver Tambo, political activist who spent 30 years in exile (1917 - 1993) |
| 32. | Steve Hofmeyr, musician and actor |
| 33. | Walter Sisulu, political activist (1912 - 2003) |
| 34. | Cyril Ramaphosa, politician and businessman |
| 35. | J. R. R. Tolkien, author (1892 - 1973) |
| 36. | Beyers Naude, cleric and anti-apartheid activist (1915 - 2004) |
| 37. | Ernie Els, golfer (1969 - ) |
| 38. | Miriam Makeba, musician (1932 - ) |
| 39. | Patrice Motsepe, businessman |
| 40. | Trevor Manuel, civil engineer, minister of finance and politician |
| 41. | Albert Luthuli, cleric, politician and 1960 Nobel Peace Prize winner († 1967) |
| 42. | Robert Sobukwe, former political activist and founder of the PAC (1924 - 1978) |
| 43. | Tokyo Sexwale, politician and businessman |
| 44. | Danny Jordaan, politician and soccer administrator |
| 45. | Fatima Meer, scientist and political activist |
| 46. | Ahmed Kathrada, political activist |
| 47. | Joe Slovo, communist politician (1926 - 1995) |
| 48. | Natalie du Toit, disabled olympic swimmer |
| 49. | Jomo Sono, soccer coach |
| 50. | Francois Pienaar, captain of the Springboks, the winning team in the 1995 Rugby World Cup |
| 51. | John Kani, actor, entertainer and writer |
| 52. | Penny Heyns, olympic swimmer |
| 53. | Jeremy Mansfield, radio and TV personality |
| 54. | Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana and Leeds United soccer captain |
| 55. | Mamphela Ramphele, political activist, academic, businesswoman and mother to the son of Steve Biko |
| 56. | Cecil Rhodes, businessman (1853 - 1902) |
| 57. | Albertina Sisulu, political activist and wife of Walter Sisulu (1919 - ) |
| 58. | Aggrey Klaaste, journalist and editor who advocated Nation Building during the struggle years |
| 59. | Alan Paton, author (1903 - 1988) |
| 60. | Harry Oppenheimer, businessman (1908 - 2000) |
| 61. | Zackie Achmat, HIV positive AIDS activist and critic of government AIDS policies |
| 62. | Doctor Khumalo, soccer player |
| 63. | Jan van Riebeeck, first colonial administrator (1619 - 1677) |
| 64. | Bruce Fordyce, ultra-marathon runner |
| 65. | Enoch Sontonga, teacher, lay-preacher and composer wrote "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" |
| 66. | Zola Budd, athlete (1966 - ) |
| 67. | Sol Plaatje, journalist and political activist (1877 - 1932) |
| 68. | Danie Craven, rugby player and administrator (1910 - 1994) |
| 69. | Alan Boesak, cleric and politician |
| 70. | Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, talk show host, public speaker and businesswoman |
| 71. | Yvonne Chaka Chaka, musician |
| 72. | "Baby" Jakes Matlala, boxer and junior flyweight champion |
| 73. | Kaizer Motaung, founder of Kaizer Chiefs Football Club |
| 74. | Basetsana Kumalo, former Miss South Africa, presenter and businesswoman |
| 75. | Antjie Krog, poet, novelist and playwright |
| 76. | Dullah Omar, politician |
| 77. | Mandoza, musician |
| 78. | Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, politician and former wife of Jacob Zuma |
| 79. | Raymond Ackerman, businessman |
| 80. | Nadine Gordimer, 1991 Nobel Prize-winning author (1923 - ) |
| 81. | Daniel François Malan, former Prime Minister responsible for laying the groundwork for Apartheid (1874 - 1959) |
| 82. | Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, politician |
| 83. | James Barry Munnik Hertzog, former Prime Minister (1866 - 1942) |
| 84. | Hector Pieterson, a young boy whose death has become the symbol of the Soweto uprisings of June 1976 |
| 85. | Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum, golfer |
| 86. | William Smith, TV teacher and presenter |
| 87. | Pieter Willem Botha, former prime minister and state president (1916 - 2006) |
| 88. | Hugh Masekela, musician |
| 89. | Bulelani Ngcuka, politician |
| 90. | Jody Scheckter, Formula One world champion (1950 - ) |
| 91. | George Bizos, lawyer |
| 92. | Mbongeni Ngema, playwright, actor, choreographer and director |
| 93. | PJ Powers, musician |
| 94. | Mimi Coertse, musician |
| 95. | Mrs Ples, the oldest hominid skull found at Sterkfontein cave |
| 96. | Abdullah Ibrahim, aka "Dollar Brand", musician |
| 97. | Govan Mbeki, political activist and father of Thabo Mbeki |
| 98. | Jamie Uys, Film Director (1921 - 1996) |
| 99. | Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, artist |
| 100. | Athol Fugard, playwright (1932 - ) |