This is an incomplete list of notable alumni and faculty (past and present) of the University of Johannesburg including notable people from the merger of the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and Vista University into the University of Johannesburg.
Alumni
Athletes Name Class year Notability References Lisa-Marie Deetlefs N/A South African Olympic field hockey player "UJ delivers Olympic talent". Sport24.co.za. 13 June 2012. Zaid Timol N/A South African rugby player who plays for the Lions Uzair Docrat N/A South African basketball player Thornton McDade N/A South African Olympic field hockey player Caylib Oosthuizen N/A South African rugby player for the Tel Aviv Heat Shireen Sapiro N/A South African Paralympic swimmer Micheen Thornycroft N/A Zimbabwean Olympic rower Francois Uys N/A South African rugby player who plays for the Free State Cheetahs Irvette van Zyl N/A South African Olympic long-distance runner Walter Venter N/A Former South African rugby player who represented the Golden Lions, Leopards, Falcons, Griquas and the Lions Jano Vermaak N/A South African national rugby player Adel Weir N/A South African squash player http://www.linkedin.com/pub/adel-weir/10/8b0/2b2
Business Name Class year Notability References Zibusiso Mkhwanazi 2005 Entrepreneur Bridget van Kralingen 1985 Senior Vice President of IBM Global Business Services Lizelle BisschoffFounder of the Africa in Motion (AiM) film festival in Scotland
Politics +Name YearNotability Reference Joseph Kabila 2019Former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Faculty Name Class year Field of expertise Academic level Notability References Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs N/A Economics Doctorate (Ph.D.) First chancellor of the Rand Afrikaans University and Minister of Finance of South Africa (1967–1975) Farid Esack N/A Religion Professor Islamic studies Hendrik C. Ferreira N/A Engineering Professor NRF "A-rated" researcher specialising in Communication technologies, Information systems and technologies, Electronic engineering, Applied mathematics, Communication technologies & Information systems and technologies Adam Habib N/A Political Science Professor Former deputy Vice Chancellor Tshilidzi Marwala N/A Engineering Professor Known for extensive contributions to the field of mechanical engineering; received the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for outstanding contributions to, and inspirational achievements in, the field of engineering science Gerrit Viljoen N/A Classical literature & Philosophy Masters First vice-chancellor of the Rand Afrikaans University, Minister of Education in South Africa (1980–1989), and Minister of Constitutional Development (1989–1992)
Honorary doctorates The university may confer advanced degrees, including an honorary doctoral degree honoris causa as an academic award in any faculty. The university follows a conservative awards policy in order to emphasise the extraordinary and inherent value of the honorary doctorate.
Name Doctorate field Year awarded Notability References Richard Goldstone Law 2010 Former Constitutional Court judge Richard Maponya Management 2010 Businessman Willem Boshoff Fine Arts 2010 South African artist Aung San Suu Kyi Literature 2011 Nobel Peace laureate Barack Obama Law 2013 44th president of the United States Kees Schouhamer Immink Engineering 2014 Digital pioneer Barbara Masekela Humanities 2025 Poet, academic and diplomat Margaret Busby Humanities 2025 Publisher
References