Dr Franklin Sonn. Image: UWCThe University of the Western Cape (UWC) joins the nation in mourning the passing of Dr Franklin Sonn, a revered educator, diplomat, and business leader who passed away on 15 November 2025 at the age of 86.
Born in Vosburg in the Karoo and raised in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, Dr Sonn was an alumnus of UWC. He began his career as an educator before becoming Rector of the Peninsula Technikon in 1977, now part of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. In 1995, he was appointed by President Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s first Ambassador to the United States in the democratic era, representing the country during a pivotal period of global re-engagement.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr Sonn served on the boards of major companies including ABSA, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), and Pioneer Foods. He was Chancellor of the University of the Free State, a patron of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival and a trustee of the Desmond Tutu Freedom Trust. He held 12 honorary doctorates and was awarded the National Order of the Baobab (Silver) in 2008 by President Thabo Mbeki for his exceptional service to the nation.
UWC honours Dr Franklin Sonn not only as an alumnus but as a symbol of principled leadership and visionary service. He was a courageous educator, diplomat and nation-builder whose life’s work helped shape a more just and democratic South Africa. His legacy of integrity, leadership and unwavering service will continue to inspire generations of scholars, citizens and all who remain committed to building the country he so deeply loved.
May his legacy live on in the institutions he helped shape and the lives he touched. We extend our deepest condolences to Mrs Joan Sonn, their children Crispin and Heather, and the extended Sonn family.
Professor Robert Balfour
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
