State President: Charles Robberts Swart (starting 31 May)
February
14 – Decimalisation of currency replaces the South African pound with the South African rand.
March
15 – South Africa withdraws from the Commonwealth.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions submits a memorandum to the United Nations General Assembly calling for economic sanctions against South Africa.
May
30 – Charles Robberts Swart resigns as Governor-General of South Africa.
31 – South Africa becomes a republic.
31 – Charles Robberts Swart becomes the first State President of South Africa.
June
4 – The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hassim Jawad, announces that Iraq will not recognise the South African government because of its apartheid policies.
October
The National Party wins the South African election, winning 105 of 160 seats in Parliament.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the president of the African National Congress, Dr Albert Luthuli.
November
Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, is established.
December
16 – Umkhonto we Sizwe commences its sabotage campaign with a bomb attack on the Durban office of the Department of Bantu Administration and Development.
Unknown date
Eendrag Men's Residence opens its doors to students of Stellenbosch University.
Mimi Coertse is awarded the Medal of Honour of Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.
The Department of Indian Affairs is established.
1 February - Jeremy Maggs, TV personality
4 March - Roger Wessels, golfer
10 April - Tian Viljoen, tennis player
16 April - Schalk van der Merwe, tennis player
1 May - Christo Steyn, tennis player
23 June - Ivan Wingreen, cricketer (died 2014)
30 August - Brian Mitchell, boxer
6 September - Adolf Malan, rugby union player
28 September - Wayne Westner, golfer
10 October - Jonathan Butler, singer-songwriter and guitarist
14 October - Kevin Moir, tennis player
5 December - Ada Booyens, race walker
13 May – The South African Springboks beat Ireland 24-8.
1961 in South Africa Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
