Athol Fugard was born in Middelburg, South Africa in 1932. His full name is Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard and as a child he was known as Hally before he decided he wanted to be called Athol.

He is white with English and Afrikaner parents. He was brought up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with English as his mother tongue. He describes himself as an Afrikaner writing in English. (In 1985 Time Magazine named Athol Fugard "the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world." )