Michael Abrahamson

Michael Abrahamson
Mentalist | Memory Expert

Michael Abrahamson is one of South Africa’s most distinctive entertainers: a mentalist, memory expert, multi-award-winning sports broadcaster, speaker and MC whose career combines an unusual mix of mathematics, psychology, communication and live performance.

Described as South Africa’s longest-serving mentalist, Michael has developed a highly interactive style of entertainment that explores the extraordinary capabilities – and vulnerabilities – of the human mind. His performances combine memory feats, rapid mathematical calculations, psychological suggestion, body language, eye movement, prediction and apparent mind-reading to create what he describes as “intelligent magic”. Rather than relying on conventional stage illusion, his performances draw audiences directly into the experience, making participation an integral part of the show.

His remarkable memory has also earned him international recognition. On Pi Day in 2019, Michael recalled 1,500 digits of Pi blindfolded in four minutes and seven seconds, establishing an African record and a speed-recall world record. In 2022 he went further, recalling 2,000 digits blindfolded in five minutes and 12 seconds. On Pi Day 2025, he demonstrated his speed once again by recalling 200 digits of Pi live on national radio in just 30.46 seconds without an error. His official biography now credits him with three world records for memory recall.

Behind these feats is a strong academic foundation. Michael studied Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, earning BSc and BSc Honours degrees, the latter with first-class results. He received the Liberty Life Gold Medal as the top student in his field and subsequently lectured in Statistics at Wits. His ability to remember the names of hundreds of students prompted questions about his memory techniques and ultimately led him to begin teaching memory and study skills. Since 1997, thousands of learners, educators and corporate participants have attended his programmes covering memory development, study techniques, time management and related cognitive skills.

Alongside his work as a mentalist and memory expert, Michael has built an exceptional broadcasting career spanning more than 35 years. As a senior sports commentator and presenter for SABC television and radio, he has covered major international sporting events, including the Olympic Games and Cricket, Rugby and Football World Cups, across more than 30 sporting codes. His broadcasting work has earned him numerous industry awards, including multiple SAB Radio Commentator of the Year honours.

Michael currently presents **Top Sport on SAfm**, combining his extensive sporting knowledge with decades of live broadcasting experience.

On stage, these diverse careers converge. The precision of the statistician, the communication skills of the broadcaster and the showmanship of the mentalist combine to create a performance that is entertaining, intelligent and highly participative.

Whether demonstrating seemingly impossible memory, reading subtle behavioural cues, predicting audience choices or challenging assumptions about the limits of human cognition, Michael invites audiences to reconsider just how powerful – and surprising – the human mind can be.