1940 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1940 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: King George VI.
 * Governor-General : Sir Patrick Duncan
 * Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
 * Chief Justice: James Stratford.

Events

 * January
 * 27 – A peace resolution introduced in the Parliament of South Africa is defeated 81–59.
 * 29 – The Herenigde Nasionale Party is established.


 * June
 * 11 – The Union of South Africa declares war on Italy.


 * December
 * 3 – The Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Renown and aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal arrive at Cape Town.

Births

 * 19 January – Barend du Plessis, government minister
 * 31 January – Kitch Christie, Springbok rugby coach. (d. 1998)
 * 9 February – J. M. Coetzee, writer and 2003 Nobel Prize laureate.
 * 18 February – Prue Leith, restaurateur and broadcaster.
 * 22 February – Johnson Mlambo, Pan Africanist Congress politician.
 * 8 March – Fred Brownell, herald, designer of the Flag of South Africa.
 * 6 June – Tiger Lance, cricketer. (d. 2010)
 * 28 August – Joseph Shabalala, choral director (d. 2020)
 * 9 October – Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician. (d. 2009)
 * 21 October – Manfred Mann, South African-British rock musician.
 * 25 December – Aziz Pahad, politician (d. 2023)

Deaths

 * 1 June – Jan F. E. Celliers, poet, writer and dramatist. (b. 1865)
 * 10 August – Abe Bailey, diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer. (b. 1864)

Railway lines opened

 * 12 January – Transvaal: Crown to Langlaagte, 3 mi.
 * 2 December – Transvaal: Germiston to Jupiter, 2 mi.