The Best South African Movie of All Time, Ranked By User Votes

By Sandy | | Posted in Entertainment & Lifestyle | 1000 Views

South African cinema has produced powerful stories that reflect the country’s rich history, diverse cultures, and unique sense of humor. From hard-hitting dramas and groundbreaking political films to beloved comedies and international award winners, these movies have left a lasting impression on audiences both at home and abroad.This list celebrates the best South African movie of all time, ranked by real user votes. Rather than critics’ opinions alone, these rankings are shaped by the voices of viewers who have watched, loved, and debated these films. Whether you’re rediscovering a classic or searching for your next must-watch local film, these are the South African movies that audiences believe truly deserve the top spot.

Score: 100%

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) is a sweeping biographical drama that chronicles the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s anti-apartheid revolutionary, political prisoner, and first democratically elected Black president.

Score: 100%

Mapantsula (1988)

Mapantsula (1988) is a landmark South African crime-drama directed by Oliver Schmitz, widely regarded as one of the first true anti-apartheid films made by and about Black South Africans. Set against the turbulent backdrop of late-1980s apartheid, it follows Johannes “Panic” Themba Mzolo, a small-time gangster whose life of self-interest and petty crime takes a dramatic turn when he becomes entangled in township protests and state oppression.

Score: 100%

Sarafina! (1992)

Sarafina! (1992) is a powerful musical-drama that brings one of South Africa’s most iconic stage productions to the screen. Directed by Darrell James Roodt and starring Leleti Khumalo, Whoopi Goldberg, Miriam Makeba, and John Kani, the film follows a spirited Soweto schoolgirl named Sarafina who becomes politically awakened during the tumultuous 1976 student uprisings against apartheid.

Score: 100%

Stander (2003)

Stander (2003) is a compelling South African biographical crime drama directed by Bronwen Hughes, based on the real-life story of Captain André Stander — a Johannesburg police officer who becomes disillusioned with the system during apartheid and shockingly turns to bank robbery, sometimes even investigating his own heists before going on the run with a gang of accomplices.

Score: 100%

The Color of Friendship (2000)

The Color of Friendship (2000) is an inspiring biographical drama originally produced for Disney Channel, based on true events that explore friendship and racial understanding during the era of apartheid. Set in 1977, the film follows Mahree Bok, a wealthy white teenager from apartheid South Africa who is sent to the United States as an exchange student. She stays with the family of Piper Dellums, the young Black daughter of a U.S. congressman.

Score: 100%

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) is a classic South African‑Botswana comedy directed by Jamie Uys that became one of the most internationally beloved films from the region. The story follows Xi, a humble Bushman living in the Kalahari Desert whose peaceful life is turned upside down when a glass Coca‑Cola bottle

Score: 100%

The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)

The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) is a gripping adventure‑thriller set against the tense backdrop of apartheid‑era South Africa. Directed by Ralph Nelson and based on a novel by Peter Driscoll, the film stars Sidney Poitier as Shack Twala, a Black anti‑apartheid activist who is released from prison only to find himself targeted again by the authorities.

Score: 100%

Tsotsi (2005)

Tsotsi (2005) is a powerful South African crime drama directed by Gavin Hood that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, making it one of the most internationally acclaimed movies to come out of South Africa. The story follows Tsotsi, a hardened young gangster living in the turbulent townships of Johannesburg

Score: 100%

Windprints (1990)

Windprints (1990) is a tense South African action‑drama thriller directed by David Wicht that takes viewers into the rugged landscapes of Namibia in the final years of apartheid‑era rule. The story centers on Anton van Heerden (Sean Bean), a young news cameraman sent to cover the mysterious string of murders allegedly committed by a notorious outlaw.

Score: 100%

Zulu (1964)

Zulu (1964) is a classic British‑South African historical war epic that vividly dramatizes the Battle of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo‑Zulu War of 1879. Directed by Cy Endfield, the film follows a small detachment of roughly 150 British soldiers — led by Lieutenant John Chard and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead — as they defend a remote outpost in Natal against an overwhelming force of thousands of Zulu warriors.

Score: 100%

A Dry White Season (1989)

A Dry White Season (1989) is a powerful apartheid-era drama directed by Euzhan Palcy that follows South African schoolteacher Ben Du Toit (Donald Sutherland), a white man largely ignorant of the brutality around him, whose world is shaken when the son of his Black gardener is beaten and killed by the police.

Score: 100%

Cry Freedom (1987)

Cry Freedom (1987) is a stirring historical drama directed by Richard Attenborough that brings to life the true story of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko and white South African journalist Donald Woods. Set in the turbulent 1970s, the film follows Woods’s transformation from skeptical observer to passionate ally after befriending Biko and witnessing the brutal injustices of apartheid.

Score: 100%

Duma (2005)

Duma (2005) is a heartfelt family adventure directed by Carroll Ballard that tells the touching story of a young South African boy named Xan and his unlikely friendship with an orphaned cheetah he names Duma (Swahili for “cheetah”). As the animal grows up, Xan realises that his friend belongs in the wild and embarks on a long and challenging journey across stunning African landscapes to return Duma to his natural home.

Score: 100%

INumber Number (2013)

iNumber Number (2013) is a gritty South African action-crime thriller directed by Donovan Marsh that follows undercover cop Chili Ngcobo and his partner Shoes as they navigate corruption, loyalty, and the lure of a lucrative heist.