1969 in South Africa

Incumbents

• State President: Jim Fouché.
• Prime Minister: John Vorster.
• Chief Justice: Lucas Cornelius Steyn.

  Events

• 14-16 - A summit meeting of the leaders of East and Central African States in Lusaka results in the issue of the Lusaka Manifesto on 16 April.
• 17 - Dorothy Fisher is the first woman and the fifth person to receive a heart transplant under Dr. Christiaan Barnard.
• 25 to 1 May - The African National Congress holds its first national consultative conference in Morogoro, Tanzania. It becomes known as the "Morogoro Conference".

• 1 - The Department of Intelligence and Security of the African National Congress is established under Moses Mabhida.

• 4-10 - P.W. Botha, Minister of Defence, visits France accompanied by General R.C. Hiemstra, Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant-General W.P. Louw, Chief of the Army and Lieutenant-General J.P. Verster, Chief of the Air Force.

• Dorothy Nyembe is convicted of defeating the ends of justice by harbouring members of Umkhonto we Sizwe and is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in Barberton Prison.
• South Africa's Atomic Energy Board creates a commission to evaluate the technical and economic aspects of peaceful nuclear explosives for use in mines.

  Births

• 3 February - Retief Goosen, golfer.
• 10 February - James Small, rugby player.
• 5 March - Derek Crookes, cricketer.
• 22 March - David Nyathi, soccer player
• 12 April - Lucas Radebe, captain of the South Africa national football team.
• 8 June - Jerry Sikhosana, soccer player
• 24 June - Thabo Mngomeni, soccer player
• 28 June - Phil Masinga, soccer player.
• 28 June - Linda Buthelezi, soccer player
• 27 July - Jonty Rhodes, cricketer.
• 28 August - Nthati Moshesh, actress.
• 14 September - Chris Rossouw, rugby player
• 25 September - Hansie Cronje, all-rounder cricketer.
• 17 October - Ernie Els, golfer.
• 18 October - Japie Mulder, rugby player.
• 20 October - Helman Mkhalele, soccer player
• 27 November - Alan Dawson, cricketer
• 24 December - Sean Cameron Michael, actor and singer.
• 29 December - Brendan Venter, rugby player.

  Deaths

Railways

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places the first of twenty Class 6E1, electric locomotives in mainline service.