South Africans in the United Kingdom
South Africans in the United Kingdom include citizens and residents of the United Kingdom with origins in South Africa.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| South African-born residents 203,477 (2011 census) 252,000 (2019 ONS estimate) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| London, South East England | |
| Languages | |
| English (British, South African), Afrikaans | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly: Christianity Judaism, Traditional African religion, Irreligion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Zimbabwean British, Afrikaners, British diaspora in Africa, South African American |
Demographics
The 2001 UK census recorded 140,201 South African-born people living in the UK. According to the 2011 UK census, 186,355 South African-born people were resident in England, 4,668 in Wales,[1] 10,607 in Scotland[2] and 1,847 in Northern Ireland.[3] The Office for National Statistics estimates that, in 2019, 252,000 UK residents were born in South Africa.[4]
Unlike the Republic of South Africa itself, the majority of the South African diaspora living in the United Kingdom are White South Africans. 84 per cent of South African-born residents of England and Wales at the time of the 2011 census identified as White, with 44 per cent identifying as White British. 6 per cent identified as Black, 5 per cent as Asian and 4 per cent as mixed ethnicity.[5]
The majority of these people are concentrated in largely affluent areas of London, the anecdotal evidence being that many are business people working in the City of London. There is, for instance, a South African-born cluster in the Canary Wharf area. In fact, London has the second-largest number of South African expatriates in the Western world. University towns such as: Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Bristol also show significant clusters of South African-born students. Many young people with British family ties have come over the years to work in the UK, including the public services.[6]
Notable South Africans in the United Kingdom
South African born British people have contributed heavily in sports, especially in Commonwealth sports such as Cricket and Rugby. 17 South African born players have played for the England national cricket team and over a dozen have played for both the England and Scotland national Rugby Union teams collectively. They have also contributed heavily in television and to at least 10 Olympic medals.
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Alex Bell | Scotland Footballer with 1 cap in 1912 |
| Allan Lamb | England Cricketer between 1982-1992 |
| Andrew Surman | England U-21 Footballer with 4 caps and 1 goal between 2007-2008 |
| Andrew Strauss | England Cricketer between 2003-2012 |
| Antony Sher | British Actor |
| Basil D'Oliveira | England Cricketer between 1966-1972 |
| Beth Tweddle | British Gymnast, three time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist |
| Bill Perry | England Footballer with 3 caps and 2 goals between 1955-1956 |
| Brad Barritt | England and British and Irish Lion Rugby Union Player with 26 appearances between 2012-2015 |
| Bob Holness | British Quiz Show Host |
| Brian Stein | England Footballer with 1 cap in 1984 |
| Cameron Norrie | British Tennis Player and former world number 66 |
| Caspar Lee | British Youtuber and Vlogger with 7.5 million+ subscribers (Born in UK but raised in South Africa) |
| Chris Smith | England Cricketer between 1983-1986 |
| Colin Viljoen | England Footballer with 2 caps in 1975 |
| Craig Kieswetter | England Cricketer between 2010-2013 |
| Doreen Mantle | British Actress |
| Elize du Toit | British Actress |
| Frances Rivett-Carnac | British sailor, Olympic gold medalist |
| Frank Osborne | England Footballer with 4 caps and 3 goals between 1922-1926 |
| Gordon Hodgson | England Footballer with 3 caps and 1 goal between 1930-1931, 241 goals for Liverpool FC |
| Ian Greig | England Cricketer in 1982 |
| Jade Dernbach | England Cricketer between 2011-2014 |
| Jason Roy | England Cricketer from 2014 |
| Johan Steyn | Judge and peer |
| John Hewie | Scotland Footballer with 19 caps and 2 goals between 1956-1960 |
| Jonathan Trott | England Cricketer between 2007-2015 |
| J. R. R. Tolkien | British Author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and World War 1 veteran |
| Justin Rose | English Golfer, Major winner, Olympic champion and former world number one |
| Justine Waddell | British Actress |
| Keaton Jennings | England Cricketer from 2016 |
| Keri-anne Payne | British Swimmer, two time world champion and Olympic silver medalist |
| Kevin Pietersen | England Cricketer between 2004-2014 |
| Kyle Edmund | British Tennis Player and world number 14 |
| Lillian Board | British middle distance runner and Olympic silver medalist |
| Mark Shuttleworth | British Millionaire |
| Michael Lumb | England Cricketer between 2010-2014 |
| Mike Catt | England Rugby Union player, 2003 World Cup winner |
| Matt Prior | England Cricketer between 2004-2014 |
| Neil Broad | British tennis player, former British number one and Olympic silver medalist |
| Natalie Steward | British swimmer, Olympic silver and bronze medalist |
| Nicky Hambleton-Jones | British Television Presenter |
| Peter Hain | British Politician |
| Reg Osborne | England Footballer with 1 cap in 1927 |
| Robin Smith | England Cricketer between 1988-1996 |
| Ronald Harwood | British Playwright |
| Rupert Obholzer | British rower and Olympic bronze medalist |
| Sid James | British Actor |
| Stuart Abbott | England Rugby Union player, 2003 World Cup winner |
| Stuart Meaker | England Cricketer between 2011-2012 |
| Teignmouth Melvill | British polo player, Olympic gold medalist |
| Tom Curran | England Cricketer from 2017 |
| Tony Greig | England Cricketer between 1972-1977 |
| William Rawson | England Footballer with 2 appearances between 1875-1877 |
| Zola Budd | British distance runner and Olympian |
British people of South African ancestry
| Name | Occupation | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Natasha Kaplinsky | news presenter | (South African father of Polish descent) |
| Joan Collins | actress, author and columnist | (South African father) |
| Jackie Collins | novelist | (South African father) |
| Sienna Miller | actress, model, and fashion designer | (South African mother) |
| Andrew Lincoln | actor, director | (South African mother) |
| Christian Bale | actor | (South African father) |
| Andy Zaltzman | comedian, radio personality | (South African father) |
| Daniel Radcliffe | actor | (South African mother) |
| Gugu Mbatha-Raw | actress | (South African father) |
| Asanda Jezile | Singer | (South African father and mother) |
| Dan Smith | singer | (South African mother and father) |
References
- "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by sex, by country of birth, January 2019 to December 2019". Office for National Statistics. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
- O'Brien, Rachel; Potter-Collins, Angela (18 June 2015). "2011 Census analysis: Ethnicity and religion of the non-UK born population in England and Wales: 2011". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- "Born Abroad – South Africa". BBC News. 2005-09-07. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
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