Zacharias Johannes de Beer (11 October 1928 – 27 May 1999) was a South African politician, businessman and diplomat.

[2] Educated at Bishop's Diocesan College in Rondebosch, He completed an MBChB degree at the University of Cape Town in 1951.

On the party's left wing, he and fellow MPs including Helen Suzman, Colin Eglin, Ray Swart, Harry Lawrence and Dr Jan Steytler resigned from the party after its national congress voted against returning any further land to the black majority for their occupation and use.

He joined an advertising agency before moving on to work for the Anglo American PLC/De Beers diamond mining conglomerate.

[2] He became the PFP's leader in August 1988[5] and, with Denis Worrall and Wynand Malan was a co-leader of the new Democratic Party when it formed in 1989.