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South African Roots Trivia Quiz

Many people know of Nelson Mandela, Charlize Theron, Gary Player and Dr. Christiaan Barnard, but here is a quiz on some notable people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, whom you might not be aware of having a South African connection.

A multiple-choice quiz by renboyski. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
renboyski

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
378,879

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
256

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Who is the kicker who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1982 and ended his career with the Tennessee Titans in 2004, but who is mostly remembered for his tenure at the Pittsburgh Steelers, from 1982 to 1994, where he set various records? Hint

Morten Andersen

Matt Stover

Gary Anderson

Mark Moseley

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Question 2 of 10

2. Starting his musical career with the South African band, Rabbitt, then playing guitar and composing music for the progressive rock band, Yes, who is this South African from Johannesburg who eventually also branched out into music production and film scores? Hint

Jim Steinman

David Geffen

Phil Spector

Trevor Rabin

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Question 3 of 10

3. Who is the founder of SpaceX, the company that was the first to successfully land a rocket booster which had been launched into space on 21 December 2015? Hint

Richard Branson

Jeff Bezos

Robert Bigelow

Elon Musk

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who is the recording artist who was once quoted as saying: "I go back to South Africa at least once a year, sometimes twice, and usually for a month. And probably, I'm guessing, I'll spend more time back there as I get older." Hint

Dave Grohl

David Essex

Dave Mustaine

Dave Matthews

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which South African model from Mooi River in Kwa-Zulu Natal became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010? Hint

Naomi Campbell

Gisele B�ndchen

Kate Moss

Candice Swanepoel

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which tennis player from Switzerland, although not born in South Africa, holds dual nationality of Switzerland and South Africa? Hint

Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray

Roger Federer

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Question 7 of 10

7. Star of such movies as "Chariots of Fire", "Barfly" and "Star Trek: First Contact", who is this native South African actress from Upington? Hint

Meryl Streep

Demi Moore

Susan Sarandon

Alice Krige

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Question 8 of 10

8. Who was the first African in space? Hint

Idi Amin

Kofi Annan

Eus�bio

Mark Shuttleworth

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who is the South African virologist from Pretoria who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1951? Hint

Max Theiler

Michael Crichton

Benjamin Spock

Jack Kevorkian

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which South African photojournalist, born in Springs, and member of the Bang-Bang Club, won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1991? Hint

Patrick Lichfield

Richard Avedon

Greg Marinovich

Annie Liebovitz

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Gary Anderson

Born in Parys, Free State and raised in Durban, Natal, Gary grew up playing rugby. Three days after emigrating to the USA, he ended up on a high school football field in Downington, Pennsylvania, kicking footballs over the goal posts from the fifty yard line.

The football coach saw him, arranged a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, where four college football scouts were also present. After the tryout all four scouts offered him a scholarship and he ended up at Syracuse.

Answer: Trevor Rabin

His musical collaborations include, amongst others, with Roger Hodgson from Supertramp, Tina Turner, Seal, Michael Jackson and Rick Wakeman, and his film scores include National Treasure, Remember the Titans and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

3. Who is the founder of SpaceX, the company that was the first to successfully land a rocket booster which had been launched into space on 21 December 2015?

Answer: Elon Musk

Even though Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, he describes himself as "nauseatingly pro-American" and also stated "the United States is the greatest country that has ever existed on Earth", describing it as "the greatest force for good of any country that's ever been".

Answer: Dave Matthews

In 1997 the Dave Matthews Band won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a duo or group for "So Much to Say", and also in 2004, when he won Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Gravedigger".

5. Which South African model from Mooi River in Kwa-Zulu Natal became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010?

Answer: Candice Swanepoel

In 2013 she was ranked at number nine in terms of modelling earnings, totalling US$3,3M. When she was fifteen she was spotted at a flea market by a modelling scout, and her career took off from there. She is fluent in English, Afrikaans and Portuguese.

6. Which tennis player from Switzerland, although not born in South Africa, holds dual nationality of Switzerland and South Africa?

Answer: Roger Federer

Federer holds dual citizenship by virtue of his mother, Lynette, having been born in South Africa. Roger's father, Robert, always wanted to travel to South Africa, which he did in 1973, and there met his future wife, Lynette. They married and moved back to Basel, Switzerland, and Roger was born on 8 August 1981, the second of two children.

7. Star of such movies as "Chariots of Fire", "Barfly" and "Star Trek: First Contact", who is this native South African actress from Upington?

Answer: Alice Krige

Alice studied psychology at Rhodes University in Grahamstown but after taking an acting class she decided to major in drama and also completed her Honours degree in drama, with distinction. She made her professional debut on British television in 1979, in a television movie version of "A Tale of Two Cities".

8. Who was the first African in space?

Answer: Mark Shuttleworth

Born in Welkom, on 18 September 1973, he became the second self-funded space tourist after Dennis Tito, and also spent $20m on the voyage. Training for the mission took a year, of which seven months were spent training at Star City, Russia.

9. Who is the South African virologist from Pretoria who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology in 1951?

Answer: Max Theiler

Max Theiler developed a vaccine against yellow fever in 1937 and also became the first African-born Nobel laureate. He even contracted yellow fever during his research but overcame it and developed immunity against it. He spent most of his life in the research field, working at such institutions as the Harvard University School for Tropical Medicine, the Rockefeller Institute in New York and Yale University.

10. Which South African photojournalist, born in Springs, and member of the Bang-Bang Club, won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1991?

Answer: Greg Marinovich

He won the Pulitzer for covering a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party being murdered by opposing ANC members, because they believed him to be a spy. He is more renowned for his work as a member of the Bang Bang Club, a group of four journalists who covered South Africa's transition to democracy.

The term "bang bang" comes from the imitation of shots being fired throughout this very difficult transition period in South Africa's history.

Source: Author renboyski

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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