1953 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1953 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.
 * Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Ernest George Jansen.
 * Prime Minister: Daniel François Malan.
 * Chief Justice: Albert van der Sandt Centlivres.

Events

 * May
 * 9 – The Liberal Party of South Africa is formed in Cape Town by Alan Paton.


 * July
 * 29 – Santam Insurance Company is registered, following the separation of trust and insurance operations.


 * September
 * Mimi Coertse leaves South Africa for London.


 * December
 * 18–20 – The 42nd Annual Conference of the African National Congress takes place in Queenstown.


 * Unknown date
 * The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), banned by the National Party government, relaunches itself underground as the South African Communist Party (SACP).
 * Bantu Education Act is voted, and will start 1 January 1954.

Births

 * 12 January – Steven De Groote, classical pianist. (d. 1989)
 * 13 January – Derek Hanekom, activist and politician.
 * 15 February – Mantfombi Dlamini, Queen Consort of the Zulu Nation. (d. 2021)
 * 5 March – Tokyo Sexwale, businessman, politician and activist.
 * 29 April – Bill Drummond, British musician
 * 22 October – Loyiso Nongxa, mathematician.
 * 7 December – Naledi Pandor, national minister

Deaths

 * 1 July – Totius, Afrikaans poet. (b. 1877)

Railway lines opened

 * 14 October – Cape – Lohatla to Sishen, 17 mi.

Locomotives
Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
 * The first of ninety Class 25 4-8-4 Northern type condensing steam locomotives.
 * The first of fifty Class 25NC non-condensing versions of the Class 25 Condenser.

Football

 * 22 November – In a friendly match the South Africa national football team loses 1–3 to the Portugal national football team at the National Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal.