1923 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1923 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: King George V.
 * Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:
 * Prince Arthur of Connaught (until 5 December).
 * Sir James Rose Innes (acting, from 5 December).
 * Prime Minister: Jan Smuts.
 * Chief Justice: Sir James Rose Innes.

Events

 * March
 * 1 – The Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom), largest electricity producer in Africa, is established.


 * Unknown date
 * The South African Native National Congress changes its name to African National Congress.

Births

 * 10 April – John Watkins, cricketer (d. 2021)
 * 30 April – Francis Tucker, rally Driver. (d. 2008)
 * 19 May – Johannes Meintjes, artist and writer. (d. 1980)
 * 6 August – Moira Lister, South African-born English film, stage and television actress. (d. 2007)
 * 5 October – Glynis Johns, South African-born Welsh actress. (d. 2024)
 * 11 October – Moses Mabhida, anti-apartheid activist. (d. 1986)
 * 11 November – Pieter van der Byl, politician (d. 1999)
 * 20 November – Nadine Gordimer, writer and political activist. (d. 2014)
 * 17 December – Wilton Mkwayi, anti-apartheid activist. (d. 2004)

Deaths

 * 10 October – Herman Gottfried Breijer, Dutch-born South African naturalist

Railway lines opened

 * 12 April – Transvaal – Dunswart to Apex deviation, 4 mi.
 * 21 May – Natal – Queen's Bridge to Duff's Road deviation, 5 mi.
 * 8 July – Natal – Canelands, Umdloti to Maidstone deviation, 6 mi.
 * 6 August – Cape – Kamfersdam to Winter's Rush, 34 mi.
 * 9 August – Cape – Belmont to Douglas, 53 mi.
 * 30 October – Transvaal – Settlers to Tuinplaas, 13 mi.

Locomotives

 * The New Cape Central Railway places two 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt articulated steam locomotives in service. They will be designated Class GK on the South African Railways (SAR) in 1925.
 * Major Frank Dutton, SAR Signal Engineer and the Motor Transport Superintendent, conducts trials with a prototype petrol-paraffin powered Dutton road-rail tractor.
 * Mr. C. Lawson, Superintendent Mechanical of the SAR, experiments with gas-electric motive power and constructs a single experimental producer gas-electric locomotive. The locomotive remains in service for several years but the gas-electric concept will eventually be superseded by diesel-electric traction.