1979 in South Africa

Incumbents

• State President:
• * John Vorster.
• * Marais Viljoen.
• Prime Minister: P.W. Botha.
• Chief Justice: Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff.

  Events

• 8 - South Africa and Lesotho sign a monetary agreement.
• 14 - Police clash with Umkhonto we Sizwe guerrillas near Zeerust and arrest one while six escape into Botswana.
• 23 - A bomb explodes near the New Canada railway station in Soweto.
• 24 - A large amount of explosives is found and defused on the railway line between Fort Beaufort and King William's Town.

• Sergeant Benjamin Letlako, a Police Special Branch member, is shot dead in Katlehong.

• Explosives are discovered and defused on a railway line near Soweto.

• 5 - Guerrillas open fire in the Moroka Police Station, killing one and wounding three more policemen and three civilians.
• 29 - Bishop Abel Muzorewa becomes the transitional Prime Minister of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.

• 4 - Following the Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
• 4 - Marais Viljoen becomes acting State President of South Africa for the second time.
• 19 - Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
• Explosives are discovered and defused on a railway line in the Eastern Transvaal.

• 22 - A Vela satellite detects a flash in the southern Atlantic Ocean, believed to be a South African-Israeli nuclear test.

• Guerrillas open fire and hurl grenades in the Orlando Police Station charge office, killing two policemen and wounding two.
• Grenades are thrown into the home of Special Branch policeman Lt Magezi Ngobeni and five children are wounded.

• A bomb explodes and damages the railway line near Alice.
• A bomb explodes at the Sasol Oil Refineries and cause massive structural damage.

• The National Council of Lawyers for Human Rights is established.
• The African National Congress's Special Operations, reporting directly to Oliver Tambo, is established.
• The African National Congress' Nova Catengue Training Camp is attacked and destroyed by the South African Air Force.

  Births

• 8 January - Butch James, rugby player
• 10 January - Louise Carver, singer-songwriter, pianist
• 29 January - Mfuneko Ngam, cricketer
• 5 February - Steve Lekoelea, soccer player
• 14 February - Wesley Moodie, tennis player
• 23 February - Jaco van Zyl, golfer
• 25 February - Wikus van Heerden, rugby player
• 18 March - Bonnie Mbuli, actress
• 25 March - Kgomotso Christopher, actress and voice over artist best known for her time in Isidingo as Katlego Sibeko
• 6 April - Manaka Ranaka, actress
• 9 April - Ryan Cox, professional road racing cyclist.
• 3 June - Deon Carstens, rugby player
• 23 June - Marilyn Agliotti, field hockey player
• 6 July - Zandile Msutwana, actress
• 10 July - Marius Joubert, rugby player
• 4 August - Robin Peterson, cricketer
• 12 September - Gcobani Bobo, rugby player
• 17 September - Neill Blomkamp, film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator.
• 22 September - Bakkies Botha, rugby player
• 9 October - Hendrik Odendaal, swimmer
• 11 October - Zonke, singer
• 21 November - Jason Hartman, singer-songwriter
• 16 December - Trevor Immelman, golfer
• 24 December - DJ Cleo, recording artist, DJ and record producer
• 28 December - Elvis Blue, singer, musician

  Deaths

• 6 April - Solomon Mahlangu, Umkhonto we Sizwe operative hanged
• 12 June - David Sibeko, Pan Africanist Congress representative to the United Nations.
• 8 August - Lionel Cooper, mathematician.
• 10 November - Harry Hart, athlete.

  Railways

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places the first of 105 Class 6E1, Series 8 electric locomotives in mainline service.

  Sports

Motorsport

• 3 March - The South African Grand Prix takes place at Kyalami.
• Jody Scheckter becomes Formula One World Champion.