1942 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1942 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: King George VI.
 * Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir Patrick Duncan
 * Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
 * Chief Justice: Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet.

Events

 * 5 May – 6 November – South African 7th Motorised Brigade and South African Air Force join the allied forces in Operation Ironclad to capture Madagascar.
 * 29 November – Blue Star Line cargo liner MV Dunedin Star runs aground on the Skeleton Coast of South West Africa.

Births

 * 12 April – Jacob Zuma, African National Congress president and 3rd President of South Africa.
 * 22 May – Pallo Jordan, African National Congress politician and fake PhD.
 * 24 May – Ali Bacher, cricketer and cricket administrator.
 * 18 June – Thabo Mbeki, 2nd President of South Africa.
 * 25 June – Joe Mafela, actor (d. 2017).
 * 28 June – Chris Hani, leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe. (d. 1993)
 * 30 August – John Kani, actor & playwright

Deaths

 * 25 April – John Royston, soldier and farmer. (b. 1860)
 * 16 June – Jack Frost, Second World War fighter pilot, is reported missing in action. (b. 1918)