1959 in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:
• * until 25 November: Ernest George Jansen.
• * 25 November – 11 December: Lucas Cornelius Steyn.
• * starting 11 December: Charles Robberts Swart.
• Prime Minister: Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd.
• Chief Justice: Henry Allan Fagan then Lucas Cornelius Steyn.

  Events

• 5 - The Pan-Africanist Congress led by Robert Sobukwe secedes from the African National Congress.

• 9 - Wing Commander Michael Beetham flying a Royal Air Force Vickers Valiant sets a record of 11 hours 27 minutes for a non-stop London-Cape Town flight.

• 11 - Members of the United Party led by Helen Suzman secede and form the Progressive Party.

• 1 - Twelve countries, including South Africa, the United States and the Soviet Union, sign the Antarctic Treaty.
• 11 - Charles Robberts Swart is appointed the 11th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.
• 12 - The 47th Annual Conference of the African National Congress takes place in Durban.

• Papwa Sewgolum, a South African Indian golfer, wins the Dutch Open tournament.

  Births

• 1 January - Thulas Nxesi, national minister
• 7 January - Peter Mokaba, member of the South African parliament,deputy minister in the government of Nelson Mandela
• 14 March - Tertius Bosch, cricketer.
• 16 March - Tito Mboweni, politician.
• 16 September - Dave Richardson, cricketer.

  Deaths

Railways

Locomotives

• May–July - Seven South African Class 61-000| Henschel type DH 1420 diesel-hydraulic locomotives.
• November - The first of 115 Class 32-000 General Electric type U18C1 diesel-electric locomotives in South West Africa.
• The first of 135 Class 5E1, Series 1 electric locomotives, an upgraded and more powerful version of the Class 5E.