Jan Smuts (* May 24th in 1870) has served as prime minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 to 1924 and since 1939 again, for the United Party. Also, he's been Chancellor of the University of Cape Town since 1936.
In 1902, he participated in the negotiations that ended the Boer War.
In the time when Mohandas Gandhi was in South Africa and organized the Indians there, Smuts was his hardest opponent. In 1908, they made a compromise however.
During the First World War, he formed the Union Defence Force, suppressed the Maritz Rebellion and conquered German Southwest Africa together with Louis Botha.
When J.B.M. Hertzog advocated neutrality towards Nazi Germany in 1939, the coalition split and Smuts became prime minister again. The fact that he and Winston Churchill have been friends for decades certainly helps with their cooperation.
End of May 1940, he was promoted field marshal - first South African in this position.
After the First World War, he did important work regarding the establishment of the League of Nations.
He's the first South African to be internationally regarded as an important psychologist. In 1926, he published a book with the title Holism and Evolution, which was published in Germany too, but meanwhile has been forbidden by the Nazis.
In 1897, he married Sybella (Isie) Margaretha Krige. Together, they have six Kids.