Desmond Tutu

South African churchman, politician, archbishop, Nobel Prize winner (1931–2021)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1931–2021, aged 90South Africa

South Africa Religious Figures

Fame35.5
Momentum1.8
South Africa rank#3
Religious Figures rank#69
Wikipedia35.6K

Wikipedia
97 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in South Africa
#3
Religious Figures
Era
1931–2021
Aged 90

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

South African Archbishop who became the face of anti-apartheid activism in the 1980s, blending Black theology with African spirituality. First Black leader of the Cape Town archdiocese, he turned the pulpit into a platform for human rights.

Biography

About

Desmond Mpilo Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first Black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from Black theology with African theology.

Profile