On his extensive travels through the wilds of 18th Century South Africa, the dashing explorer Francois le Vaillant collected trophies, fell in love, dined on exotic dishes, hunted big game, named a number of new bird species, kept a tame baboon called Kees and maintained a sense of humour throughout. more

The multi-talented Thomas Bain was 1 of the shining stars of Victorian-era South Africa. Not only did he supervise the building of a score of Cape mountain passes, but his passions spread to botany, archaeology, art, water research, administering the law and raising a large, happy family. more

Not only did James Kitching find thousands of important pre-dinosaur fossils from more than 250-million years ago, but he also helped prove the theory of continental drift: that southern Africa was once part of a much larger land mass that included Antarctica, parts of the Americas and Australia. more

Dr Christiaan Barnard is one of South Africa’s favourite sons. The cardiac surgeon made history by performing the world’s first successful human heart transplant at a Cape Town hospital in 1967. He perfected a medical procedure that has since gone on to save millions of people’s lives around the world. more

Sydney Brenner has produced some of the world’s most pioneering medical research. With a keen interest in genetics, Brenner was responsible for developing a new DNA sequencing technique and demonstrated the cause and effects of genetic mutations, research which contributed to him being awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize for Medicine. more

Professor Himla Soodyall is renowned across the globe for her groundbreaking genetic research into the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. Her studies have identified some of the oldest DNA found in living people today, adding weight to the theory that modern humans evolved in the area now known as Southern Africa. more

Max Theiler was renowned for his groundbreaking research and studies of viruses. He was part of the team that first identified yellow fever as a virus and that developed the critical 17-D yellow fever vaccine. Theiler’s work earned him the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1951. more

South African heroes of science are varied and include renowned surgeons and physicists, geneticists and mathematicians and even an IT genius turned astronaut. The country has also produced an endless list of inventors whose innovative products have made it onto the international stage. more

South African innovations are varied and many. The country is recognised for its contributions to technological innovation worldwide. South Africa is also a strong driver of science and technology on the African continent, where many South African inventions have helped improve the lives of the rural poor. more

Mark Shuttleworth is equally renowned for his entrepreneurial vision and IT innovations as he is for his social efforts, most notably to uplift South African education on a big scale. His unwavering determination to travel into space also saw him become the world’s second, self-funded private citizen to travel into orbit. more

Ken Hall originally designed his Cobb oven as an alternative to the paraffin stoves found in South Africa’s informal settlements. These makeshift stoves are the major cause of deadly settlement fires. The Cobb concept has been very well received and today it’s a popular choice for outdoors enthusiasts everywhere. more

Albert Joseph Mokoena had a natural flair for mathematics. He studied extensively in South Africa and briefly abroad, before becoming a lecturer. Through various teaching posts across Africa, Mokoena aimed to instill in learners a solid understanding and love for maths as a subject. more

Henri Johnson is an engineer who used his background in radar to develop the technology that measures the speed and direction of tennis, cricket and golf balls during play. This innovative technology is used in tournaments around the world and provides fascinating insights into the playing techniques of famous sportspeople. more

George Pratley was a renowned South Africaninventor. He developed significant products for use in industry and became known for his innovative adhesive products. These included Pratley Putty which famously travelled with Neil Armstrong to the moon on the 1969 Apollo XI mission. His legacy lives on today in the Pratley Group. more