Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that has been home to several kingdoms in the past. With a history dating back to the pre-colonial era, the country came under the dominance of British South Africa Company in the 1890 finally gaining its independence in 1980. The ancient past has given the country a rich cultural heritage and ethnic diversity which is visible from the fact that Zimbabwe is home to people from different cultures and background. The country has as many as 16 official languages. Though there have been quite many prominent Zimbabwean men and women who have contributed significantly to the country, one name that deserves a special mention is that of Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe who serves as the head of state and government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. An authoritarian leader, Mugabe has been in power since 1980 and executed a dictatorial control over the country’s affairs.
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Famous As: Novelist
Birthdate: October 22, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kermanshah, Iran
Died: November 17, 2013
Famous As: Actress
Birthdate: February 14, 1978
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Grinnell, Iowa, United States
Danai Gurira is best known as Michonne from The Walking Dead and as Okoye from the Marvel films Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. She earned a Tony nomination for writing the Broadway play Eclipsed. She has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador and promotes arts and women empowerment.
Famous As: Princess consort of Monaco (Since 2011)
Birthdate: January 25, 1978
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Charlene, Princess of Monaco, was once an Olympic swimmer and represented South Africa at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She met her husband, Prince Albert, at a swimming competition. She now owns the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and works for causes related to AIDS, sports, and underprivileged children.
Celebrities Born On My Birthday?
Famous As: Golfer
Birthdate: January 28, 1957
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Durban, South Africa
Nick Price is a Zimbabwean golfer who was considered the best player in the world in the mid-1990s; he was ranked number one as per the Official World Golf Ranking. He has won three major championships including two PGA Championships. In 2003, Nick Price was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Famous As: President of Zimbabwe (Since 2017)
Birthdate: September 5, 1942
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Zvishavane, Zimbabwe
Nicknamed The Crocodile, the current Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been one of the harshest rulers his country has seen. Roughly 20,000 people lost their lives during his tenure as the security minister in the 1980s. Once Mugabe’s right hand, he later fell out with him and launched a coup.
Famous As: businessperson
Birthdate: January 29, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: Former President of Zimbabwe
Birthdate: March 5, 1936
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Esigodini
Died: November 10, 2003
Canaan Banana was a Zimbabwean politician, theologian, and Methodist minister. In 1980, Banana became the first president of Zimbabwe, a position which he held until 1987. Ten years later, he made the headlines when he was involved in a highly publicized trial after being accused of being a homosexual. He served six months in prison after being convicted of sodomy.
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Famous As: Association football player, Association football manager
Birthdate: October 6, 1957
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Durban
Famous As: Actor, Producer
Birthdate: April 6, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chegutu, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Actress
Birthdate: June 25, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: Politician, Trade unionist
Birthdate: June 19, 1917
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Semokwe
Died: July 1, 1999
Famous As: Rugby union player
Birthdate: August 1, 1985
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Harare
Famous As: Singer
Birthdate: June 13, 1994
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mutare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Actress
Birthdate: August 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Famous As: Prime Minister
Birthdate: April 14, 1925
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Umtali, Manicaland, Southern Rhodesia
Died: April 8, 2010
Famous As: Actor
Birthdate: August 8, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Tennis player
Birthdate: February 17, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Cricketer
Birthdate: May 14, 1983
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: King
Birthdate: 1845 AD
Birthplace: Matabeleland, Zimbabwe
Died: January 23, 1894
Famous As: Singer
Birthdate: 1982 AD
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1987 until her death in 1992
Birthdate: June 6, 1931
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ghana
Died: January 27, 1992
Famous As: Musician
Birthdate: July 3, 1945
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Marondera, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Singer
Birthdate: 0000 AD
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: Journalist
Birthdate: January 17, 1990
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Died: March 23, 2020
Famous As: Novelist
Birthdate: February 4, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mutoko, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Politician
Birthdate: July 31, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Nyamandhlovu, Zimbabwe
Died: December 12, 2000
Famous As: Musician
Birthdate: February 6, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Died: April 9, 1996
Famous As: Novelist
Birthdate: June 4, 1952
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Rusape, Zimbabwe
Died: August 18, 1987
Famous As: Educator
Birthdate: 1965 AD
Birthplace: Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (1964-79)
Birthdate: April 8, 1919
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Shurugwi, Zimbabwe
Died: November 20, 2007
Ian Smith was a politician who served as the prime minister of Rhodesia (today known as Zimbabwe) from 1964 to 1979. Born to British immigrants in the Southern Rhodesian Midlands, he was a controversial figure who personified “White Rhodesia.” While his detractors denounced him as "an unrepentant racist," his supporters hailed him as "a political visionary.”
Famous As: Former PM & President of Zimbabwe
Birthdate: February 21, 1924
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Died: September 6, 2019
Robert Mugabe was a Zimbabwean revolutionary. He played a major role in the Rhodesian Bush War, which eventually led to the Lancaster House Agreement, resulting in the creation of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Subsequently, Mugabe served as the first prime minister of Zimbabwe and later as its president. A controversial figure, Mugabe is also often criticized for his tyrannical ways.
Famous As: Tennis player
Birthdate: October 6, 1969
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Singer-songwriter
Birthdate: March 5, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Olympia, Washington, United States
Died: July 24, 2013
Famous As: Golfer
Birthdate: March 24, 1953
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bindura, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Author
Birthdate: December 10, 1981
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tsholotsho, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Politician
Birthdate: November 18, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Makokoba, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Actress
Birthdate: 1938 AD
Birthplace: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
Birthdate: March 10, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gutu
A long-time opponent of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai was a trade union activist who later also served as the Zimbabwean prime minister, sharing power with Mugabe. He lost his wife in a deadly car crash, in which he was himself injured. He later died of cancer.
Famous As: Sculptor
Birthdate: 1964 AD
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Died: May 31, 2009
Famous As: Songwriter
Birthdate: May 12, 1990
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Laie, Hawaii, United States
Famous As: Musician
Birthdate: June 25, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: Socialite
Birthdate: 1951 AD
Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died: November 10, 2003
A well-known South African socialite and businesswoman, Hazel Crane once smuggled diamonds and worked at a strip club. She had also been a nurse. She was gunned down while traveling in her car to testify against Israeli mafia boss Lior Saat. Her interesting life later became public through her post-humous memoir.
Famous As: Actor
Birthdate: July 10, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Zimbabwe
Famous As: Current Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe as of September 2018
Birthdate: September 16, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Singer
Birthdate: 0000 AD
Birthplace: Unknown
Famous As: Boxer
Birthdate: February 26, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Shangani, Zimbabwe
Died: September 7, 1940
Famous As: Tennis player
Birthdate: November 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Singer
Birthdate: September 5, 1981
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Singer-songwriter
Birthdate: February 10, 1995
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe
Famous As: Football player
Birthdate: March 5, 1991
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe
Politics apart, Zimbabwe has been home to distinguished writers, such as Jacob Chikuhwa, John Eppel, Wilbur Smith, notable businessmen like David Hatendi, Strive Masiyiwa, sporting legends as Byron Black, Henry Olonga, Benjani Mwaruwari, gifted musicians such as Brian Chikwava, John Edmond, Jonah Sithole, Simon Chimbetu and so on. Read this section to know more about the life and works of famous Zimbabweans.