About Madge Bester
Lived 1963 – 2018 (aged 54). Madge Bester was a South African activist.
Madge Bester (26 April 1963 – 19 March 2018) was a former world's shortest living woman. From South Africa, in 1991 she measured 65 cm (2 ft 1.5 inches) in height. Bester had osteogenesis imperfecta, which is characterized by brittle bones, and used a wheelchair.
She was a campaigner for disability rights, holding a 1998 press conference on the issue accompanied by Lin Yih-Chih, the former world's smallest man.
Bester lived in a retirement village in Bloemfontein. Her mother Winnie, who died in 2001, also had osteogenesis imperfecta and measured only 70 cm.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Madge Bester's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Madge Bester?
World's shortest living woman (1963-2018)
When was Madge Bester born?
Madge Bester was born on 26 April 1963 in South Africa.
When did Madge Bester die?
Madge Bester died on 19 March 2018.
What was Madge Bester's occupation?
Madge Bester was an activist.
What nationality was Madge Bester?
Madge Bester was South African.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Madge Bester. https://biography.guide/madge-bester/
MLA: "Madge Bester." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/madge-bester/.
Chicago: "Madge Bester." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/madge-bester/.
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