Christian Bale, Daniel Radcliffe and 3 Other International Celebrities With South African Heritage

• South African heritage is more common among global celebrities than many realise, with many stars having Mzansi roots
• A viral video sparked online conversations, revealing lesser-known celebs linked to South Africa
• Fans on social media reacted with excitement and humour, adding names to the growing list of celebs with SA connections

South Africans are dominating in different industries all over the world, and we are proud of it. Several international celebrities apparently have Mzansi heritage.

While stars like Elon Musk, Thuso Mbedu, Tyla, Trevor Noah, and Charlize Theron are well-known for their South African roots, there are many other international celebrities who also share Mzansi heritage.

Celebs you didn't know have SA heritage

A Facebook video shared by a creator with the handle @Cool Story Bru listed some of our favs who have roots in South Africa. First on the list was the legendary Batman actor, Christian Bale, whose father, David Bale, was born in South Africa. That means the popular star is half-South African.

Tennis legend Roger Federer reportedly holds South African citizenship as his mother, Lynette Federer, is originally from Kempton Park, Johannesburg. Roger is not the only famous star with a South African mother; English actor Daniel Radcliffe, popular for playing Harry Porter in the internationally acclaimed film series, Harry Porter's mother is also from Mzansi.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Doja Cat is also half South African, as her father is actor, Dumisani Dlamini. The rapper has been open about her strained relationship with her father, whom she has called a "deadbeat father" on several occasions.

Last on the list is the writer of the famous Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892.

Watch the full video below:

Fans react to the list of celebs with SA roots

Social media users shared their thoughts on the list of world celebrities with South African heritage. Some even noted that the list excluded many other stars like Rihanna's baby daddy A$AP Rocky, whose maternal grandparents are originally from South Africa.

Others also mentioned Arnold Vosloo, who played Imhotep, the villain in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001), who hails from Pretoria.

@Sinovuyo Hobho said:

"You forgot Asap rocky, his grandparents are from South Africa."

@Univers Mque commented:

"The guy who's The Mummy from The Mummy is from Pretoria."

@Luckiness Sandile Stone wrote:

"Seems like everyone is fron South Africa, the thing that Trump is from Mpumalanga amases me."

@Pontsho Legwale added:

"It's Harry Potgieter for me, what are the odds that he is from Limpopo or Mpumalanga? 🧹🧹🧹"

@Stephanie Blanton said:

"Alice Krige from Upington played the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact."

@Siyabulela Njara added:

"It's seems they alot of celebrities who have a South African Heritage,, I wonder Lionel Messi is not South African just wondering."

Thuso Mbedu to star alongside Mark Ruffalo in new show

Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that award-winning US-based South African actress Thuso Mbedu is set to make her much-awaited return to our screens. The actress is set to star alongside Oscar-nominated American actor Mark Ruffalo in an upcoming drama series, Task.

Thuso Mbedu keeps flying the country's flag high. The actress who has featured in several international movies has joined the cast of Task, a star-studded HBO drama series scheduled to be released in September 2025 on HBO.

Source: Briefly News