This is a partial list of prominent political families in South Africa.

Abdurahman and Gool DrAbdullah Abdurahman (1872-1940), politician and physician; father to Zainunnisa Gool (1897-1963), anti-apartheid political and civil rights leader.

Aucamp Cassie Aucamp, leader of the Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging, father to: Willie Aucamp, Member of Parliament; formerly married to Carol Johnson, Member of Parliament.

Barlow and Waring Arthur Barlow (politician) (1876-1962), politician and journalist; father-in-law to Frank Waring (1908-2000), cabinet minister.

Barry Joseph Barry (1796-1865). Member of the Legislative Council (Cape Colony) 1854-1864; father to : Charles van Reenen Barry (1831-1878), Member of the Legislative Assembly 1874-1877; Jacob Dirk Barry (1832-1905), Member of the Legislative Assembly 1864-1866 and 1869; Thomas Daniel Barry (1833-1890), Member of the Legislative Assembly 1869-1890; Michael Barry (1837-1897), Member of the Legislative Assembly 1878-1879; and uncle to : John Barry senior (1807-1871), Member of the Legislative Assembly (Cape Colony) 1854-1858; and great-uncle to : John Joseph Barry (1830-1882), Member of the Legislative Council 1866-1878, Member of the Legislative Assembly 1879-1881.

Bellhouse

Elgar Bellhouse, chairperson of the Progressive Party, father to: Molly Blackburn (née Bellhouse; 1930–1985), political activist. Judy Chalmers (née Bellhouse), Member of Parliament.

Brand Sir Christoffel Brand, Speaker of the Cape House of Assembly, father to Johannes Henricus Brand, president of the Orange Free State

Bunting Sidney Bunting (1873–1936), chairman of the Communist Party of South Africa, father to: Brian Bunting (1920–2008), Member of Parliament; married to Sonia Bunting (1922–2001), anti-apartheid activist.

Cachalia and Asvat Ebrahim Ismail Asvat (died 1940), political activist, father to: Zainab Asvat, political activist. Amina Cachalia (née Asvat; 1930–2013), Member of Parliament; married to Yusuf Cachalia, political activist; mother to: Ghaleb Cachalia, Member of Parliament. Ahmed Mohamed Cachalia, political activist, father to: Moulvi Cachalia (1908–2003), political activist. Yusuf Cachalia (1915–1995), political activist; formerly married to Bettie du Toit, political activist; married to Amina Cachalia, political activist; father to Ghaleb Cachalia. Ismail Cachalia, Member of Parliament, father to: Firoz Cachalia, Member of Parliament. Azhar Cachalia, anti-apartheid activist.

Calata

James Calata (1895–1983), political activist, grandfather to: Fort Calata (1956–1985), political activist, member of the Cradock Four.

Capa

Ndumiso Capa, Member of Parliament; married to Rosemary Capa, Member of Parliament; father to: Ntandokazi Capa, Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature.

Coleman

Max Coleman (1926–2022), Member of Parliament; married to Audrey Coleman, activist; father to: Colin Coleman, Goldman Sachs executive. Neil Coleman, trade unionist.

Dangor

Ebrahim Dangor, activist, father to: Mohammed Dangor, diplomat and politician. Achmat Dangor (1948–2020), author and activist. Jessie Duarte (née Dangor; 1953–2022), Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

De Klerk Jan de Klerk (1903–1979), member of cabinet, father to: Frederik Willem de Klerk (1936–2021), State President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994. and brother-in-law of Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom.

De Waal Pieter de Waal (1837-1909), Member of the Legislative Assembly (Cape Colony) 1894-1895; brother to : David Christiaan de Waal (1845-1909), Member of the Legislative Assembly (Cape Colony) 1884-1903; brother of the above, father to : Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr de Waal (1871-1937), Member of the Legislative Assembly (South Africa), Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Dönges and Pickard Dr Eben Dönges (1898-1968), cabinet minister, state president-elect, father-in-law of Jan Pickard (1927-1998), Springbok rugby player, Member of Parliament.

Duncan Sir Patrick Duncan (1870-1943), politician, governor-general; father to Patrick Duncan (1918-1967), anti-apartheid activist.

Ebden John Bardwell Ebden (1787-1873), Member of the Legislative Council (Cape Colony) 1834-1849 and 1854-1858; father to : Alfred Ebden (1820-1908), Member of the Legislative Council (Cape Colony) 1879-1890.

Ebrahim

Ebrahim Ebrahim (1937–2021), member of cabinet. Gora Ebrahim (1936–1999), Member of Parliament, brother to Ebrahim.

First and Slovo

Julius First, treasurer of the Communist Party of South Africa, father to: Ruth First (1925–1982), anti-apartheid activist; married to Joe Slovo (1926–1995), leader of the South African Communist Party.

Fischer Abraham Fischer, prime minister of the Orange River Colony 1907-10, South African cabinet minister 1910-13; father to Percy Fischer, judge, father to Bram Fischer, advocate and activist.

Fraser and Moleketi Arthur Fraser, anti-apartheid activist. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, member of cabinet, sister to Arthur; married to Jabu Moleketi, member of cabinet.

Gandhi and Ramgobin

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), political activist, grandfather to: Ela Gandhi, Member of Parliament; formerly married to Mewa Ramgobin (1932–2016), Member of Parliament.

Graaff David Pieter de Villiers Graaff (1859–1931), minister in the Cape Colony, father to: De Villiers Graaff (1913–1999), leader of the United Party, father of: David de Villiers Graaff, Member of Parliament. Sir Jacobus Arnoldus Graaff (1863-1927), Cape Colony and Union cabinet minister, brother of Sir David.

Goniwe Matthew Goniwe (1947–1985), member of the Cradock Four, uncle to: Mbulelo Goniwe, Member of Parliament.

Groenewald Pieter Groenewald, leader of the Freedom Front Plus, father to: Michal Groenewald, Member of Parliament.

Gumede Josiah Gumede (1867–1946), founding member of the South African Native National Congress, father to: Archie Gumede (1914–1998), leader of the United Democratic Front, father to: Donald Gumede, Member of Parliament.

Hattingh

Hans Heinrich Hattingh, immigrant, Free Burgher of the Dutch Cape Colony, ancestor to: Chris Hattingh, politician, Councillor of the JB Marks Local Municipality, Member of the North West Provincial Legislature, Member of the National Council of Provinces, Member of the National Assembly and Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance for the North West Province, father to: Juanita Terblanche, politician, Councillor of the JB Marks Local Municipality, Member of the National Council of Provinces, Member of the National Assembly, Member of the Shadow Cabinet, Branch Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance for JB Marks. Douglas Stephen Bax, clergyman, author and anti-Apartheid activist, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa, secretary-general of the South African Council of Churches.

Hendrickse Allan Hendrickse (1927–2005), leader of the Labour Party, father to: Peter Hendrickse, Member of Parliament. Michael Hendrickse, Member of Parliament. Marie-Louise Hendrickse; formerly married to Desmond Lockey, Member of Parliament.

Hertzog General J.B.M. Hertzog (1866-1941), cabinet minister in Orange River Colony and Union of South Africa, prime minister 1924-39; father to Dr Albert Hertzog, cabinet minister 1958-68.

Hlengwa Mhlabunzima Hlengwa (1945–2005), Member of Parliament, father to: Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Member of Parliament.

Hofmeyr Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (1845-1909), Cape Colony politician, uncle to Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr (1894-1948), provincial administrator, cabinet minister 1933-48.

Jansen Dr Ernest George Jansen (1881-1959), politician, governor-general, married to Mabel Jansen (1889-1979). politician and Afrikaans cultural leader.

Jarvis and Molteno (Cape Colony, Union of South Africa) Hercules Crosse Jarvis (1803-1889), Member of the Legislative Assembly 1854-1858; father-in-law to : Sir John Molteno (1814-1886), MLA 1854-1878 and 1880-1883, prime minister 1872-1878; father to : John Charles Molteno jr (1860-1924), MLA 1894-1910; Sir James Molteno (1865-1936), MLA (Cape) 1891-1910, Speaker 1908-1910; MLA (South Africa) 1910-1915, Speaker 1910-15.

Kadalie

Clements Kadalie (1896–1951), founder of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union of Africa, father to: Fenner Kadalie (1928–2011), pastor and activist in District Six, father to: Rhoda Kadalie (1953–2022), activist, mother to: Julia Pollak, economist; married to Joel Pollak, editor of Breitbart News.

Koornhof Piet Koornhof (1925–2007), member of cabinet, father to: Gerhard Koornhof, Member of Parliament. Nic Koornhof, Member of Parliament, cousin to Piet.

Lorimer

Rupert Lorimer, Member of Parliament, father to: Kate Lorimer, Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. James Lorimer, Member of Parliament.

Luthuli Albert Luthuli (–1967), leader of the African National Congress and chief of the Zulus of Stanger, South Africa, father to: Albertina Luthuli, Member of Parliament.

Mahlangu

David Mabhoko Mahlangu (Mabusabesala II), King of the Southern Ndebele–Ndzundza, father to: Cornelius Mahlangu (Mayitjha II; 1947–2005), King of the Southern Ndebele–Ndzundza from 1992 to 2005. James Mahlangu (1953–2005), Chief Minister of KwaNdebele from 1990 to 1994.

Malan Francois Stephanus Malan (1871-1941), Cape Colony and Union of South Africa politician and cabinet minister, president of the senate; brother of : Charl W. Malan (1893-1933), cabinet minister.

Dr Daniel Malan (1874-1959), prime minister 1948-54, first cousin once removed of the above.

Avril Malan (1898-1975), politician; distant cousin to the above, father of : Gen Magnus Malan (1930-2011), military officer, cabinet minister 1980-91.

Manana

Sibongile Manana, Member of Parliament, mother to: Mduduzi Manana, Member of Parliament.

Mandela and Machel

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, grandfather to: Mandla Mandela, Member of Parliament. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1936–2018), Member of Parliament, second wife of Nelson. Graça Machel, First Lady of Mozambique from 1975 to 1983 and First Lady of South Africa from 1998 to 1999, third wife of Nelson; formerly married to Samora Machel (1933–1986), President of Mozambique from 1975 to 1983.

Mantashe

Gwede Mantashe, member of cabinet. Priscilla Tozama Mantashe (1960–2021), Member of Parliament, sister to Gwede.

Mashinini Nomkhitha Virginia Mashinini, political activist, mother to: Tsietsi Mashinini, political activist.

Matanzima

Kaiser Matanzima (1915–2003), Prime Minister of Transkei from 1976 to 1979, President of Transkei from 1979 to 1986, grandfather to: Lwandile Zwelenkosi Matanzima (c. 1970–2010), traditional king of Western Thembuland. George Matanzima (1918–2000), Prime Minister of Transkei from 1979 to 1987, brother to Kaiser, father to: Qaqambile Matanzima (1949–2013), officer in the Transkei Defence Force and South African National Defence Force.

Matthews Z. K. Matthews (1901–1968), political activist, father to: Joe Matthews (1929–2010), Member of Parliament, father to: Naledi Pandor (née Matthews), member of cabinet.

Maynard and Farmer (Cape Colony) James Mortimer Maynard, Member of the Legislative Assembly 1854-1858; uncle to : William Mortimer Maynard Farmer, Member of the Legislative Assembly 1879-1883.

Mbeki

Skelewu Mbeki (1828 – 1918), the chief of the Mpukane village in the Nqamakwe district from the late 1860s until 1911 and father of: Govan Mbeki (1910–2001), defendant in the Rivonia Trial; married to Epainette Mbeki, political activist; father to: Linda Mbeki, political activist. Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa from 1999; married to Zanele Mbeki, feminist South African social worker; and father to: Kwanda Mbeki, political activist. Moeletsi Mbeki, political activist. Jama Mbeki, political activist.

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