George Pemba whose full names are George Milwa Mnyaluza Pemba, was a South African painter and writer born in 1912 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. At the age of 16, Pemba got his first break when his first work exhibited at the Feather Market Hall in Port Elizabeth. Six years later, he was treated for a burst appendix and he spent his hospital stay drawing pictures of nurses and doctors. His hospital drawings caught the attention of landscape painter Ethel Smythe who took an interest in Pemba and offered him tutelage. Ethel Smythe possessed a large collection of books that introduced him to the work of Dutch Golden age artist Rembrandt van Rijn, Spanish artist Diego Velázquez and the art of impressionism.

George Pemba, was also a writer, who wrote and staged at least two plays namely,The Story of Nongqawuse and The Xhosa Prophet Ntsikana. He was later produced painting to illustrate the plays. South African heritage Project. George Pemba died in 2001 and he was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga.