1921 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1921 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: King George V.
 * Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Prince Arthur of Connaught.
 * Prime Minister: Jan Smuts.
 * Chief Justice: James Rose Innes.

Events

 * May
 * 3 – The second census of the Union of South Africa takes place.
 * 24 – The Bulhoek Massacre takes place with an estimated 163 killed.


 * July
 * 30 – The Communist Party of South Africa is established.


 * December
 * 28 – White gold miners on the Witwatersrand go on strike in the Rand Rebellion.


 * Unknown date
 * Dagbreek men's residence opens at Stellenbosch University.

Births

 * 30 May – Jamie Uys, actor and film director. (d. 1996)
 * 21 July – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, Zulu sangoma and author (d. 2020)

Deaths

 * 10 September – John Tengo Jabavu, editor of South Africa's first newspaper in Xhosa. (b. 1859)

Railway lines opened

 * 1 November – Transvaal – Pretoria West to Roberts Heights, 7 mi.
 * 28 November – Natal – Booth Junction to Cato Ridge, 39 mi.

Locomotives
Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
 * February – A single experimental Class GA 2-6-0+0-6-2 Garratt articulated steam locomotive, the first Cape gauge Garratt in South Africa.
 * June – The first of seven Class GB 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratt locomotives.