March
18 – The University of the Free State is established.
May
1 – 18 blacks are killed by police and more than 30 are injured on the Witwatersrand in a massive stay-away from work, called for by the African National Congress.
1 – Springbok Radio, the SABC's first commercial service, is launched.
August
5 – A South African Air Force squadron departs for the Korean War.
6 – The municipality of East London decides not to approve prospecting for oil off the city's seafront.
September
26 – Sasol (Suid-Afrikaanse Steenkool, Olie en Gaskorporasie Bpk.) is registered as a company.
October
23 – Ernest George Jansen is appointed the 9th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.
November
2 – South African Airways inaugurates daily services between Johannesburg and Bulawayo and between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
December
13 – South Africa refuses to place South-West Africa under UN trusteeship.
21 – The gold town of Allanridge in the Free State Province is established.
Unknown date
Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is proclaimed a protected state forest.
H.F. Verwoerd becomes Minister of Native Affairs and implements the forced removal of about 80,000 black Africans from Sophiatown, Martindale and Newclare to Soweto.
The government passes the Immorality Amendment Act, the Group Areas Act, the Suppression of Communism Act, and the Population Registration Act which officially divides South Africans into 'White', 'Coloured', 'Asian' or 'Native' population groups.
United States and United Kingdom sign a purchasing agreement with South Africa to supply uranium for their nuclear weapons programmes.
2 February – Richard Mzamane Mabaso, artist, is born in Alexandra.
9 May – Bhawani Sannyassi Dayal, activist and journalist, dies in Ajmer, India.
11 September – Jan Smuts dies at the age of 80 on his family farm of Doornkloof, Irene, near Pretoria.
2 October – Transvaal: Vandyksdrif to Broodsnyersplaas, 11 miles 73 chains (19.2 kilometres).
31 May – Vic Toweel defeats World Bantamweight Champion Manuel Ortiz on points over 15 rounds at Wembley Stadium and becomes the first South African world boxing champion.
The British Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games), after a 12-year gap, takes place in Auckland from 4 to 11 February. Of the 12 participating countries which include Southern Rhodesia, South African finishes 5th on the medals list, winning 20 medals, 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 8 Bronze. The medal winners are:
Athletics
Neville Price – Gold, long jump, distance 7.31 m
Syd Luyt – Silver, marathon, time 2.37.03
Tom Lavery – Bronze, 120 yards hurdles, time 14.6 s
Daphne Robb ; Bronze, 220 yards, time 24.7 s
Boxing
Johnny van Rensburg – Gold, bantamweight
Theunis van Schalkwyk – Gold, middleweight
Marcus Temple – Bronze, flyweight
Lawn bowls
Alfred Blumberg, H.Currer, Harry Atkinson and Norman Walker – Gold, fours
W. Gibb and H.J. van Zyl – Silver, pairs
Rowing
Ian Stephen – Bronze, single sculls
Swimming
Graham Johnston – Silver, 440 yards freestyle
Graham Johnston – Gold, 1650 yards freestyle
Jackie Wild – Gold, 110 yards backstroke
Joan Harrison – Bronze, 110 yards freestyle
Joan Harrison – Gold, 440 yards freestyle
Weightlifting
Barrie Engelbrecht – Bronze, featherweight
Issy Bloomberg – Silver, light-heavyweight
Wrestling
Patrick Morton – Gold, light-heavyweight
Martin Jooste – Bronze, welterweight
Carel Reitz – Bronze, middleweight
Wally Hayward, at age 42 and after a twenty-year gap, wins the Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in a time of 6h 46m 25s. Twenty runners of the 29 who start finish in the allotted time.
June–July
The Australia national association football team tours South Africa and plays four games against the South Africa national football team.
24 June – South Africa wins 3-2 at Kingsmead, Durban.
1 July – South Africa wins 2-1 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.
8 July – Australia wins 2-1 at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.
23 July – Australia wins 2-0 at Hartley Vale, Cape Town.
