Top chess players in South Africa

The highest-rated active players from South Africa on FIDE's October 2026 classical list.

#	Player	Rating	+/−	World	Born
1	IMHenry Robert Steel RSA	2408	0	#1547	1989
2	IMJan Karsten RSA	2387	+1	#1940	2008
3	FMBanele Mhango RSA	2344	−10	#2866	2003
4	IMCaleb Levi Levitan RSA	2336	+20	#3065	2010
5	IMDaniel Cawdery RSA	2312	0	#3709	1982
6	FMRaphael Felix RSA	2307	0	#3873	2010
7	GMKenneth Terence Solomon RSA	2282	0	#4715	1979
8	Charlton Mnyasta RSA	2273	+37	#5035	2005
9	FMRoland Bezuidenhout RSA	2269	0	#5191	1997
10	FMDaniel Barrish RSA	2245	0	#6133	2000
11	IMWatu Kobese RSA	2237	0	#6458	1973
12	IMRyan Pierre Van Rensburg RSA	2228	0	#6872	1990
13	CMKeith Khumalo RSA	2224	0	#7060	2001
14	CMJa Ophoff RSA	2223	0	#7106	1979
15	IMMichael Simpson RSA	2212	0	#7663	2007
16	FMJack Van Zyl-Rudd RSA	2209	0	#7829	2002
17	FMCalvin John Klaasen RSA	2177		#8841	1987
18	IMJohannes Manyedi Mabusela RSA	2138		#9506	1984
19	WIMJesse Nikki February RSA	2010	0	#10789	1997
20	WFMChloe Badenhorst RSA	2003		#10855	2007

Ratings from FIDE's official October 2026 list. The +/− column is the change from the previous month. Inactive players are not ranked.