1937 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1937 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: King George VI.
 * Governor-General:
 * The Earl of Clarendon (until 19 March),
 * John Stephen Curlewis (acting, 19 March to 5 April)
 * Sir Patrick Duncan (starting 5 April).
 * Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog.
 * Chief Justice: John Stephen Curlewis.

Events

 * January
 * 15 – The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes in Johannesburg.


 * February
 * 1 – The Aliens Act No. 1 is promulgated, restricting and regulating the entry of certain aliens into the Union of South Africa and regulating the right of any person to assume a surname.


 * April
 * 5 – Sir Patrick Duncan is appointed the 6th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the first South African to hold the position.

Births

 * Eric Bhamuza Sono, captain of Orlando Pirates F.C. and was the father of soccer player & coach Jomo Sono (d. 1964)
 * 29 March – Marike de Klerk, politician, First Lady of South Africa, as the wife of State President Frederik Willem de Klerk, from 1989-1994
 * 5 May – Ray Ntlokwana, actor, affectionately known as "Velaphi" following his lead role in the SABC Xhosa play, Velaphi
 * 1 July – Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, political activist (d. 2021)
 * 4 July – Clive Scott (actor), actor
 * 6 July – Bessie Head, writer (d. 1986)
 * 18 September – Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician, in Kroonstad. (d. 2009)
 * 19 October – Jonas Gwangwa, jazz musician, songwriter and producer

Locomotives
Four new locomotive types, three steam and one electric, enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
 * The first of 235 Class 19D 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives.
 * A single Class 21 2-10-4 Texas type steam locomotive.
 * The first of thirty-four Class NG G16 narrow gauge 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt locomotives.
 * Three German-built 3 kV DC Class 2E electric locomotives.