South Africa is one of the few African countries that has white people who are native to it. This is due to colonisation, which saw Dutch settlers move into the country in 1652, followed by French, German, and British immigration. Since then, many Caucasian people have claimed South Africa as their country.
They are known as Afrikaners. Afrikaners are a South African ethnic group descended mainly from 17th- and 18th-century Dutch, French Huguenot, and German settlers, known by their native Afrikaans language, which came from 17th-century Dutch.
Many of them went on to become huge, critically acclaimed Hollywood stars. These are five of the most famous: 
Charlize Theron
Charlize is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. She has won the most prestigious awards in Hollywood—a Golden Globe and an Oscar—and she is known for her roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and the Fast and Furious franchise.
Charlize was born in Benoni, South Africa, within Transvaal Province (now Gauteng Province since 1994). She is the only child of Gerda and Charles Theron, who were both involved in road construction.
Her ancestry includes Afrikaner roots as well as Dutch, French, and German heritage, with her French ancestors being early Huguenots who settled in South Africa. Although she is fluent in English, Afrikaans is her first language.
Arnold Vosloo
Arnold Vosloo is an actor with South African and American citizenship. Vosloo is an Afrikaner with Dutch and German heritage; he was raised in a family of stage actors in Pretoria. Notably, his father owned a drive-in theatre located in Alberton, Gauteng.
He started his performing arts career in South Africa, prominently featuring in stage productions and films, including the 1984 film Boetie Gaan Border Toe.
Vosloo emigrated to the United States in the late 1980s, where he became famous for playing antagonistic characters, especially his portrayal of Imhotep in The Mummy (1999) and its sequel The Mummy Returns (2001).
Sharlto Copley
Sharlto Copley is a South African actor known for his leading roles in the Academy Award-nominated film District 9, the 2015 film Hardcore Henry, and the TV series Powers (2015–16). Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2025 he portrayed Leo Bonhart in the fourth season of the Netflix series The Witcher. His father, Bruce Copley, was a university professor.
Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer
Sasha is a South African-born American actress and singer, known for portraying Alison DiLaurentis in the series Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017) and its spin-off Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (2019). Pieterse was born on February 17, 1996, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to parents Sean and Zizi and is of Afrikaner descent. Her family moved to the United States in 2001.
ALSO READ: Has Hollywood Erased the Yoruba Soul of ‘Children of Blood and Bone’?
Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen)
Richard Grant, born Richard Grant Esterhuysen in Mbabane, Swaziland, is a Swazi-English actor and presenter with English, Dutch/Afrikaner, and German ancestry. He debuted in the film industry as Withnail in the comedy Withnail and I (1987) and gained acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), earning several awards, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He has received nominations for other prestigious awards such as the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor.
About The Author
Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News
