Ferran Adrià Acosta

People who love food know about El Bulli and dream of going there at least once in their live. Adrià, whom Gourmet Magazine named the Salvador Dali of the kitchen, has been the head chef of the El Bulli restaurant since 1984. Adrià made molecular gastronomy, which means the pairing of unusual flavours and textures, famous. The restaurant received its second and third Michelin stars in 1990 and 1997 and it has been Restaurant Magazine’s Best restaurant in the world from 2006-8.

Gordon Ramsay

Gordon is the third best chef in the world; he is only outranked by Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse. He has received star ratings from not only Michelin but also from the Mobil and Good Food Guide. His 3 Michelin stars has certainly helped him to receive an OBE ‘for services to the hospitality industry’ in 2006.

Joël Robuchon

Joël Robuchon is in a different league: his 17 Michelin stars prove that. And if that doesn’t impress much, then his Gault Millau award of ‘Chef of the Century’, should. Joël owns 8 restaurants in 3 continents and has received awards ranging from Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the US (2005-8) to the 2006 CondeNast Traveller ‘Hot Tables’.

Daniel Boulud

Jacques René Chirac, the French ex-President, made Daniel a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2006. Daniel is the author of 6 cookbooks, is passionate about French cuisine and has a place in the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.The James Beard Foundation gave him this honour in 1995. He owns 6 restaurants, one of which – Daniel – the International Herald Tribune rated as one of the top 10 international restaurants.

Hiroyuki Kanda

Go to Tokyo for food that will make you close your eyes to enjoy every bite a bit better: the city has received more Michelin stars than any other. Kanda is one of the 8 restaurants that received the 3-star Michelin rating in 2008: ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey’.

Seiji Yamamoto

Seiji Yamamoto creates beautiful food by paring molecular gastronomy with kaiseki. He impressed the audience at the Madrid Fusión 2008 with his Silkscreen of Squid Ink with Squid Carpaccio. You know you’ve made it when chefs such as Joël Robuchon and Ferran Adrià Acosta travel to dine at your restaurant. Seiji owns Ryugin, which has been a 2-star Michelin restaurant since 2008.

Alain Ducasse

Alain’s Le Louis XV restaurant is one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. This restaurant also has a mineral-water sommelier. Alain did the impossible: he received three Michelin stars for three different restaurants simultaneously. His restaurant received the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award in 2001.

Anthony Robbins:

Anthony Robbins has for a long time been a popular motivational speaker. Not only that, he is also a well established author of numerous self help books, including the bestselling book, Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement.

Robbins first gained popularity in America through various television infomercials that promoted his personal development seminars and audio programmes. Soon he became a well-known force in the industry, and has even worked with a string of famous public figures. Popular personalities, world leaders, and celebrities associated with Robbins include Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana, Pamela Anderson, Quincy Jones, and Anthony Hopkins.

Jack Canfield:

Not many people have not heard of the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ book series. These books have helped many a fragile mind get out of their slump and start embracing life. And the co-author of the book series is reaping the rewards. The book series boasts 124 titles and has sold more than 100 million copies around the world. The success of the books has earned Canfield and his partner Mark Hansen the title of top selling authors in the United States in 1997. Now that’s pretty impressive.

But his influence does not stop there. Canfield is also the founder of ‘Self Esteem Seminars’, and ‘The Foundation for Self Esteem’. Something of a celebrity, Canfield has appeared on numerous popular talk shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live.

Canfield has also authored and co-authored other books, including The Success Principles and The Success Principles for Teens. He also participated in the critically acclaimed DVD ‘The Secret’, where he shared his thoughts on the Laws of Attraction.

Mark Victor Hansen:

Being co-author of the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ book series has done wonders for this motivational speaker, trainer and author’s career. Upon releasing the books, Time magazine called the series ‘the publishing phenomenon of the decade’. The Chicken Soup books have also become one of the most successful publishing franchises ever, selling more than 100 million copies in 47 languages. In Hansen’s most recent book, ‘How to Make the Rest of your Life the Best of your Life, he collaborated with Art Linkletter, a famous American radio and television personality.

Zig Ziglar:

Why would anyone walk away from a successful career in sales to preach to the masses? Well, if your dream is to help people realise their potential then the choice should be an easy one. And that is exactly what motivational speaker Zig Ziglar did, and is now as successful as they come. Ziglar has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, and Success and Esquire magazines. He also appeared on the Today Show, 20/20 and 60 Minutes to name a few.

But what makes Ziglar so popular? Well, besides his encouraging and enthusiastic deliverances and positive and motivational books, he has the unique ability to make audience members feel relaxed, comfortable and at ease. This leads to trust from the audience, and complete attentiveness. Ziglar has also written nine books, including the bestselling ‘See You at the Top’, with over 2 million copies sold.

Napoleon Hill:

Napoleon Hill is often considered one of the most influential motivational speakers and authors of recent times. After an interview with Andrew Cargenie, the business tycoon convinced Hill to research and organise the first philosophy of individual achievement. This project took Hill about 20 years to complete.

Hill soon became a regular in motivating people and has written several bestselling books, including books on the project. The ‘Think and Grow Rich’ programme is one of Hill’s bestselling programmes, and one of the bestselling books of all time.

Music can make us feel better about ourselves and sometimes, the world around us, too. The lyrics count, yes, but there are other factors that influence our enjoyment. Not all songs that motivate you to be better are religious; some of these inspirational songs could are also commercial.

This is our list of the top 8 inspirational songs. Have your say in the comments section, and feel free to make your own list.

Count on me – Whitney Houston

More than a few motivational songs are about having friends. And these songs make you realise, especially during those dark moments, that you really do have friends. Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans first sang this in 1996.

The final countdown – Europe

OK, fine, this is slightly corny. But this 1996 song was the most popular song in 25 countries. Watch the video if only to laugh at their hair. But listen to it mostly for the music: it’s nearly impossible to feel melancholy after that.

Undiscovered - James Morrison

This is one of those songs that’ll make you feel mellow and think that perhaps, tomorrow will be OK. “And when we’re alone we are all the same as each other”

I believe I can fly – R Kelly

We couldn’t find this video anywhere but we’re confident that you also listened to this in the late ’90s. Those of you who are older than 18, of course. It’s actually a really good head banging song.

It’s my life - Bon Jovi

Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfield

Unwritten - YouTube

This is happiness in a song. Defiance, perhaps? Telling the establishment that anything is possible? And don’t worry, it’s OK if guys like it.

You’ve got a friend – Carol King

‘You’ve got a friend’ has been covered by many artists since the 1970s when Carol King first sang it. We all need a friend, right?

Get what you give - The New Radicals

Can you believe this song is more than 10 years old? VHS gave it a spot in their VH1’s ‘100 Greatest Songs of the 90s’. And remember that you can have style even when you’re broke.

Naas Botha

Naas Botha, one of the great South African rugby figures for almost 20 years, was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005, 10 years after his last match. He was known for 3 781 points in a career of 277 first-class matches and was excellent at drop-goals. Naas scored 20 points in 1981 when South Africa beat New Zealand 24-12 in Wellington.

Doc Craven

Daniël Hartman Craven was a scholar before he became the greatest South African rugby player ever. He earned doctorates in social anthropology, psychology and physical education and became a lecturer at Stellenbosch university. He played as a scrum-half for South Africa from 1931 to 1938. He was the captain for the four Test series against the Lions. Craven received much criticism for trying to integrate the game. He did, however, play an important role in the creation of the unified SARFU in 1991. His name was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1997.

Hennie Muller

Hennie Muller introduced a new style of play for a number 8 forward in the immediate post-war years. The clue comes in his nickname, ‘Windhond’ or greyhound. He was arguably the fastest back row forward, especially back in 1949. He used his speed well and became a legend back then. He was excellent and intelligent and he could kick with either foot. He was the South African rugby captain in 9 tests from 1949 to 1953.

He was one of the 2001 inductees into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

Morné du Plessis

Morné and his father, Felix du Plessis, made history in 1971: they became the first father and son who had both captained their country’s rugby team. Morné led his side to a 3-1 series win over the All Blacks in 1976 and also defeated the Lions in 1980. He made his last appearance against France in the November of that year. He led his country in 22 matches from 1971 to 1980 and is a member of the World Sports Academy.

Mornés induction into the International Rugby Hall of Fame was in 1999.

Frik du Preez

Frederik Christoffel Hendrik du Preez was born in the Rustenburg District of the Western Transvaal. He was a versatile player. He was the captain of the South African team from 1961 to 1971, played in 87 matches and scored 87 points.

He only scored one international try: it was during the 1968 Lions against people such as Gareth Edwards.

Francois Pienaar

Many of us remember that moment when state president Nelson Mandela handed the Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar in 1995. What a triumph. Pienaar was a world-class flanker, a great captain, but also an ambassador for the sport. He was appointed captain of the Springboks in the same year as when he made his international debut against France. He was the face of Springbok rugby to the world and captained South Africa in 29 international matches.
He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005, together with Naas Botha and Andre Boniface among others.

Joost vd Westhuizen

Joost got 89 caps for the Springboks, scored 38 tries and got 6 nominations as one of the Top 5 SA Players of the Year 6 times
He redefined the scrum-half’s role with his powerful bursts from both set-pieces and loose play. He scored 56 tries in 111 games for the Springboks and 38 touchdowns in 89 appearances. This also includes a hat-trick against Scotland at Murrayfield. He gained a Rugby World Cup winners’ medal in 1995 and played in the 1999 and 2003 tournaments.

Danie Gerber

Danie Gerber quickly established himself as a world-class centre after South Africa’s return to the international stage in the 1980s. His 19 tries in only 24 tests, plus a further nine in tour matches for the Springboks, reflects his attacking ability. He was also a big hit with the Barbarians for whom he scored four tries against Cardiff and another two against Scotland on tour in 1984. He was captain of the South African team from 1980 to 1992.

Leonardo da Vinci:

If ever there was a man of diverse talent, it would be Leonardo da Vinci. This Italian scientist, engineer, mathematician, painter, sculptor, inventor, musician, anatomist, botanist, geologist and writer have been called one of the greatest painters to ever live. Leonardo is the man responsible for creating two of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo was a famous Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. Michelangelo is also known as being one of the few people to contend for the title of archetypal Renaissance man, along with rival and fellow Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo was also known to have a somewhat low opinion of painting, however, that did not stop him from creating two of the most influential works in the history of Western art. These two works are the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling, and The Last Judgment, which can be seen on the alter wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso is an influential painter in his own right. This Andalusian-Spanish painter, draughtsman and sculptor is one of the most recognised figures in the art world. He is probably best known as being the founder of the Cubist movement. Picasso’s most famous works include the Les Demoiselle d’Avigon, and his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was a popular Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, whose paintings today are amongst the best known, not to mention most expensive in the world. Ironically, Vincent’s work was not worth much during his career, and he only managed to sell one painting by the time of his death.

In the last 10 years of his life, Van Gogh produced more than 2 000 pieces, including 900 paintings and over 1 000 drawings and sketches. He possibly produced his best works in the last two years of his life, during which time he cut off a portion of his ear in a fit of epilepsy. Van Gogh spent his remaining years suffering from a mental illness, which ultimately led to his suicide at the age of 37.

Rembrandt

This Dutch painter and etcher was considered to be one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history. During his career in the art world, Rembrandt became the most important painter in Dutch history, in an era that became known as the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt’s greatest works were no doubt his self portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. Some of his works include Jacob de Gheyn III, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, Belhazzar’s Feast, The Prodigal Son in the Tavern, The Mill and The Jewish Bride.

And Amatomu, the local blogging aggregator, could succeed in making us believe that South Africans are only “or mostly?“ interested in rugby: Keo and Rugby Dump are two of the most popular blogs on Amatomu.

But what is a blog? Wikipedia says that ‘A blog (a contraction of the term ‘Web log’) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.’

This list, like all such lists, is subjective and should be taken with a pinch of salt. We would also like to know whom you would nominate. Feel free to discuss your own list in the comments section.
So who are the 8 top South African bloggers?

• Tertia has been dominating the space for many years: she started blogging in 2004 when not that many of us even knew what a blog is. She started blogging about infertility but later started writing about blogging and even won the Best Personal Blog for 2008.

• Shaun has been blogging since March 2006 and writes about almost anything.  His blog posts are always funny and they sometimes contain a dash of humbleness.  He got nominated for the 2008 Bloggies and has been accused of looking like Seth Rotherman.

• Peas on toast: This lady has received many awards, most notably among them the2008 Blog Awards for Most Original Writing and Best Post (How Not To Buy Condoms). She’s been blogging since 2005 and has kept us (me?) laughing with posts such as How to make a complaint.

• 6000 has only been blogging since the beginning of 2007 but he has built up a loyal following. He’s originally from Sheffield in the UK and writes about how much he loves South Africa and What not to give to toddlers who have a high fever.

• Nic is the guy behind SA Rocks and his passion for South Africa is infectious. He started the blog in January 2007 and it has become one of the must-read SA blogs.  Can anyone argue with what Nic says here in his first post: ‘I am not saying our country is perfect, no country is, but I am saying that there is a lot more good in SA than people like to admit.’ His blog was a runner up in the 2008 Blog Awards and asks questions such as ‘Does marching really matter?‘

• How many other South African bloggers have an entry on Wikipedia? Vincent Maher is a blogger-cum-Thought Leader-cum-entrepreneur.

• Adii is one of the true rockstars. He even says so on his blog. He gets regular mentions on international blogs such as ReadWriteWeb and is a genuinely nice oke, too. He also started blogging in the beginning of 2007 and has been blogging about “Web 2.0, Designing, Wordpress and Business Strategy”.

• Rafiq has been involved with Web AddiCT(s) as well as iDrive. He’s been blogging since 2005 and has become one of the Thought Leaders whom Carte Blance featured in their Web 2.0 segment, which attracted much notice among the South African bloggers.

Sir Donald Bradman:

Affectionately known as ‘The Don’, Sir Donald Bradman was an Australian cricketer who was widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman had an illustrious career in cricket, and boasted a test batting average of 99.94, a score which has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport.

During his prolific 20 year career, Bradman scored at such an impressive level that former Australian captain Bill Woodfull described him as ‘worth three batsmen to Australia’. Bradman was so good at batting that the English team had to specially devise a set of tactics known as the Bodyline, in an effort to curb his scoring.

Dennis Keith Lillee:

This former Australian cricket player was rated as the ‘outstanding fast bowler of his generation’. He held the world record for the most Test wickets when he retired in 1984. Lillee was widely recognised in the cricket arena due to his quick temper, hard working attitude and popularity amongst fans.

Lillee started out as a talented fast bowler, but a number of fractures in his back put an end to that. However, after taking on a full and strict fitness regime, he returned to international cricket in fine form. By the time he retired, he had become the then world record holder for the most Test wickets. This placed him on the list of most recognisable and renowned Australian sportsmen of all time.

Andrew Flintoff:

A valued English cricket player, Flintoff was a known fast bowler, aggressive batsman, fine fielder, and, according to ICC rankings, one of the top international all rounders in the ODI and test cricket. He made his debut in 1998, and has since then grown from strength to strength. His is an integral part of the English team, captaining and vice-captaining the team.

Sanath Jayasuriya:

This Sri Lankan cricketer is an excellent all rounder and has been a member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. He has retired numerous times, only to return to the squad a few months later. This definitely shows his love and commitment to the game and his country. He is known as the only player in the world to score over 12,000 runs and catch over 300 wickets in ODIs. He is also regarded as one of the best ODI players.

Wasim Akram:

Akram was once a Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left handed batsman. He represented the Pakistani cricket team in Tests and One Day Internationals. He is regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever, and holds the record for the most wickets taken in both ODIs and List A cricket. He is also one of the pioneers of reverse swing bowling. Akram has been somewhat of a controversial player, whose reverse swing initially drew accusations of ball tampering. Today, however, reverse swing is regarded as a legitimate feature of the game.

Hansie Cronje:

Another controversial, but brilliant and highly loved character in international cricket. In a poll conducted in 2004, he was voted as the 11th greatest South African, despite his involvement in the match fixing scandal that tarnished his name just over a year before he died. Hansie is often described as one of the best cricket captains, and had led the South African team to 27 test match wins. Also, of the 138 one day matches South Africa has played under his captaincy, 99 were won. Hansie is a hero to many South Africans, mainly because of his cricket prowess, but also because he was not scared to take the blame for the wrong that he had done. Even if it meant ruining his reputation and facing a life ban on professional cricket. Tragically, just as the match fixing scandal was settling down, Hansie died in a plane crash in the Western Cape on June 1st 2002.

Sachin Tendulkar:

Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer and often regarded as one of the greatest batsman of all time. In 2002 he was ranked as the second greatest test batsman of all time, right after the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. He was also ranked the second greatest one-day international (ODI) batsman in history next to Sir Viv Richards. Shane Warne, a renowned Australian cricketer, described Tendulkar as the greatest player he has ever player with or against. Sachin was also included in Bradman’s Eleven, a dream team chosen by Sir Donald Bradman and included in his biography. He is the only player of the current generation to be included in this list.

Sir Vivian Richards:

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is a former West Indian cricketer, who is better known by his second name, Vivian, or simply Viv. In 2000, Richards was voted as one of he five Cricketers of the Century. The panel included cricket experts and former players, including Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne. In 2002 he was judged to have played the best One Day International (ODI) innings of all time. In 2002, he was also chosen as the greatest ODI batsman of all time, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all time.

Where the Hell is Matt is a video detailing Matt’s 14-month journey to 42 countries, dancing in each location. He is soon joined by fellow locals in his dances, showing that no matter where you are in the world, you are able to bring people together through song, dance and positivity.

Where in Heaven is Mozart?

A video similar to ‘Where in Hell is Matt?’, but instead features little ‘Mozart’, a five-year-old girl who plays violin at key places around the world. This video took 18 months to make. Its mission is to show that the beauty we see and the kindness of people everywhere makes this world sometimes seem like heaven.

Inspirational Video on Increasing your Confidence

Britain’s definitely got talents, as proven by Paul Potts, who sang his heart out on the television show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, even bringing ‘Mr Nasty’ aka Simon Cowell to tears. Potts may not look like a typical pop singer, but he trained hard and had faith in his talents. After his performance on BGT Potts has now sold 2 million copies of his album, just because he believed in himself.

Law of Attractions

The Laws of Attraction video is a teaser to the book that was released by Sonia Ricotti. The book, The Law of Attraction Plain and Simple, was released on the 30 September 2007, and Ricotti put this video together to gear people up for the book’s release. According to many people, this new book takes The Secret to the next level.

‘You Raise Me Up’ An Inspirational Video for Everyone

This video is meant to bring faith to your life if you are down and tells the story of life, love, and tragedy. With the inspirational and award-winning Josh Groban song ‘You Raise Me Up’ as the backing music, this video offers a montage of inspirational pictures and quotes.

The Most Inspirational Video Ever “ Hug of War

An inspirational video featuring music by Enigma. This video shows different images of people all over the world hugging and embracing each other. It inspires us to believe that no matter what, there is always someone out there who believes and loves you, and can offer you comfort and a helping hand. Even if it is a pet.

Never Give Up “ An Inspirational Video

An awesome video showing a herd of zebra at a waterhole. They are soon approached by hungry lions, which subsequently start to prey on them. This video shows one zebra’s determination to break free from the grip of the lion, which he does after a battle with the king of the jungle. This in turn leaves the lion tired, shocked, and still hungry.

Here is our list of 8 men who became legends:

Edison (Edson) Arantes do Nascimento aka Pelé

Pelé is one of the most well-known football stars and even those who do not know much about this sport, recognize his name. He once compared himself to Beethoven and the International Olympic Committee named him the Athlete of the Century in 1998. He became famous as 17 and led the Brazilians to victory in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Diego Armando Maradona aka Maradona

Maradona and Pelé are the two greatest FIFA soccer players of the 20th century. Maradona was the South American Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1980. He is a controversial figure in international football and has managed to capture the entire world’s attention. He played in 4 World Cups and is known for his Hand of God and Goal of the century.

Cristiano Ronaldo

He is still young but has captured international attention, especially when FIFPro named him their World Player of the Year 2008. He is the first United player to win the Golden Ball that the European Footballer of the Year receives since George Best in 1968.

Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry received the Légion d’Honneur, which is the highest decoration in France, for his role in the 1998 World Cup. He won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2006, which is unrivalled. Arsenal fans call him their greatest player and Henry managed to popularise ‘Va va voom’ so much that it got included in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

Roberto Baggio

Baggio, or Il Divin Codino, scored 9 goals in 3 World Cup Finals and is one of the FIFA 100.  Baggio was FIFA Player of the Year in 1993 but his fame could be mostly because he ‘lost’ Italy the 1994 World Cup. He made up for it with a penalty shot in 1998, though. A 2001 internet poll named him the Most Loved Player.

Paulo Roberto Falcão

Falcão, a FIFA 100 member, is one of the most talented midfielders ever. He played midfield for Brazil in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He won 3 Brazilian National Championships — 1975, 1976, and 1979 – and people called him ‘8th king of Rome’.

David Beckham

Beckham is one of ‘Britain’s Greatest Ambassadors’ and only the 21st player to score in 3 World Cups. He received entry into The English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and is one of the most recognisable football stars. He and his wife have become somewhat of an industry.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite aka Kaká

This young football star is better known as Kaká and was FIFA World Player of the Year and European footballer of the year in 2007. He is the midfielder of AC Milan and also plays for the Brazilian national team.

1. Charlize Theron

Think about the most internationally successful person from South Africa, and Charlize Theron automatically springs to mind. This Academy Award winning actress, who rose to fame by playing supporting roles alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood, now commands millions of dollars for a starring role in a motion picture. She is now one of the top earning actresses in Hollywood, placing her in the same category as American actresses like Cameron Diaz, Reece Witherspoon and Halle Berry.

Charlize has starred in a host of Hollywood movies, including The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young, The Cider House Rules, The Italian Job, and movies such as Monster, North Country, and the Life and Death of Peter Sellers. But it was her convincing role in Monster, playing the part of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, that made people sit up and take notice, even garnering her several top awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress. Soon Charlize was flying the South African flag high by being both a successful actress and animal rights activist. She has also just become the UN messenger of peace after been asked to take the position by UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

2. Gavin Hood

Been a renowned South African director is one thing, but being an Academy Award winning South African director is something completely different. This is a title not many South African director can hold. But then again Gavin Hood, writer, producer, actor, and the director best known for his work on the Academy Award winning movie Tsotsi, is not just another South African director.

His directing career started years ago, and he managed to reap the rewards at the Oscars. But Hood is no stranger to the Oscars: he directed his first commercial short film, The Storekeeper, in 1998. It earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

Other films include his first feature film, A Reasonable Man in 1998, and the Polish language feature film, In Desert and Wilderness. His first Hollywood film was Rendition, in 2007, and he has also been announced as the director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a movie based on Marvel Comics character of the same name. Hugh Jackman reprises his role of Wolverine from the X-Men films.

3. Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Starting from humble beginnings Ladysmith Black Mambazo has become one of the biggest international acts to come out of South Africa. They are a male choral group who sings in a distinctive siscathamiya and mbube style, and rose to worldwide prominence after singing with Paul Simon on his Graceland album. They have won many awards, including 2 Grammies and multiple Grammy nominations. The group has recorded with a string of internationally renowned recording artists, including Zap Mama, Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Esteridge, Josh Groban and Emmylou Harris.

4. JRR Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a South African-born English writer, poet, philanthropist and university professor, best known as the author of the fantasy books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the latter being transformed into a three-part, big budget motion picture. It was Tolkien who revived the high fantasy genre when his works were published by his son after his death. Tolkien’s writing inspired many other works of fantasy and has had a lasting effect on the entire genre. In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on the list of ‘50 Greatest British writers since 1945′, even though he was born in South Africa.

5. Gary Player

When it comes to teeing off on the putting greens, no one can do it quite like Gary Player. And he will probably be playing a game on a course he designed himself. Player is a world-recognised championship golf player who has excelled in the field thanks to high values, a stringent regimen of health and fitness, and an insistence on quality. This has not only earned him fame and success throughout the world, but admiration as well.

Dubbed the Black Night, Mr Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, Gary Player is also a renowned golf architect, having designed more than 300 golf courses throughout the world.

6. Benni McCarthy

Growing up on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape didn’t stop Benni McCarthy from giving up on his dreams of being a professional football player, and thank goodness for that. Because if it did, we would have missed out on one of the most talented footballers to come out of South Africa. Currently playing for English side Blackburn Rovers, Benni started his career at the Cape Town Spurs, a local club that is now known as Ajax Cape Town.

After scoring goal after goal, and an impressive showing at the African Youth Cup and FIFA World Youth Championship, he joined a Dutch side, where he continued to score. He was even crowned champion in his first season. Soon he was sold to Spanish side Celta Vigo for a reported 6 million Euros, the most expensive transfer for a South African player at the time.

After struggling for some time at Celta, McCarthy was lent to FC Porto in the 2001-02 season, where he thrived and took the team to victory at the 2004 UEFA Champions League, even scoring two goals against current champions Manchester United. In 2006, McCarthy flew to England to sign his contract to join Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £2.5 million.

7. Lucas Radebe

Lucas Radebe is a world-renowned soccer player, most famously for his time at the English side Leeds United and his work with South African soccer. Born in Soweto, who would have thought Radebe would go on to become a leading figure in the world of soccer. His talent was noticed at a young age, and Lucas was soon signed by Kaizer Chiefs Football Club as a midfielder. Radebe soon moved to Leeds United in England, where he became known as ‘The Chief’ because of his dominance on the field, especially in defense.

He was soon made captain of the team for the 1998-99 season. Donning the captain jersey Leeds went on to be successful at both the FA Premier League (finishing fourth) and qualifying for the UEFA Cup. During the season of 1999-2000, Leeds finished third in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League, where they reached the semi-finals. Radebe has since retired from professional soccer, but is still a firm crowd favourite in Leeds, and back home in South Africa.

8. Zapiro

When it comes to controversial political satire, no one can compete with Zapiro, which is the nom de plume of South African cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro. His works have appeared in South African and international publications. Zapiro is well known for his controversial cartoons, mostly about political figures in South Africa.

He became the first cartoonist to win a prize in the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards, and won the Mondi Newspaper Award for Graphic Journalism in 2003 and 2004. He has also been invited to cartoon events in Cameroon, Botswana, Australia, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Italy, and has held solo exhibitions in New York, London, Frankfurt and South Africa.

9. Mark Shuttleworth

How many South Africans can say they have funded their own trip to outer space? Answer: just one. His name is Mark Shuttleworth and he is a South African entrepreneur and fully fledged Afronaut. He has also founded Canonical Ltd, and provides leadership for the Ubuntu operating system.

The world already took notice of Mark as a businessman who formed companies and invested in numerous projects. These projects give free software and education to charity organisations. But it was his spaceflight in 2002 that gained him worldwide fame and recognition. Funding the flight himself, Shuttleworth spent eight days in space participating in experiments related to AIDS and genome research. He returned on 5 May 2002 as an Afronaut, an instant South African celebrity and role model.

10. Ryk Neethling

Ryk Neethling is a South African swimmer, most recognised for bringing South Africa to victory by earning a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is also the former joint owner of the 4X100 freestyle relay world records and holds several other South African records. He is the first South African to compete in four successive Olympic Games.

Ryk has also become something of a fan favourite, with millions of women swooning over the handsome swimmer’s toned physique and friendly and down to earth nature. With fans across the world, and a successful career that show no signs of slowing down, Ryk can be sure of an equally successful future, making South Africa proud once again.