Dolly Rathebe (1949 - 2004) was a South African musician and actess.

Rathebe's career began in 1949, when she appeared as a nightclub singer in the film Jim Comes to Jo'burg . As a result of this appearance, she was chosen to appear on the cover of Drum , a magazine. At the photo shoot, however, she and the photographer were arrested under the Immorality Act, which forbade interracial relationships.

Rathebe became a national star by the end of the 1950s, touring with such bands as the Harlem Swingsters and Alf Herbert 's African Jazz and Variety . Her international renown came in 1964, after she played with the Elite Swingsters . She then retired, starting a shebeen in Cape Town, returning when the Elite Swingsters reunited in 1989.

In 2001, Rathebe received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South African Music Awards .

Rathebe died on September 16, 2004 from a stroke.