2020 in South Africa

Incumbents

• President: Cyril Ramaphosa
• Deputy President: David Mabuza
• Chief Justice: Mogoeng Mogoeng
• Deputy Chief Justice: Raymond Zondo
• President of the Supreme Court of Appeal: Mandisa Maya
• Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal: Xola Petse
• Chairperson of the Electoral Court of South Africa: Khayelihle Kenneth Mthiyane
• Speaker of the National Assembly: Thandi Modise
• Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly: Lechesa Tsenoli
• Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly: John Steenhuisen
• Leader of Government Business: David Mabuza
• Government Chief Whip : Pemmy Majodina
• Opposition Chief Whip : Natasha Mazzone
• Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces: Amos Masondo
• Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces: Sylvia Lucas
• Leader of the Opposition of the National Council of Provinces: Cathlene Labuschagne
• Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces: Seiso Mohai

  Cabinet">Cabinet of South Africa">Cabinet

National Assembly">National Assembly of South Africa">National Assembly and [National Council of Provinces]

Provincial Premiers">Premier (South Africa)">Provincial Premiers

• Eastern Cape Province: Oscar Mabuyane
• Free State Province: Sisi Ntombela
• Gauteng Province: David Makhura
• KwaZulu-Natal Province: Sihle Zikalala
• Limpopo Province: Stanley Mathabatha
• Mpumalanga Province: Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane
• North West Province: Job Mokgoro
• Northern Cape Province: Zamani Saul
• Western Cape Province: Alan Winde

  Events

January to March

• 3 February – A court issues an arrest warrant for former president Jacob Zuma on corruption charges. Zuma, 77, is presumed to be in Cuba for medical treatment, but it is unclear when or if he will return to South Africa since the two countries have not signed an extradition treaty. The case will resume on May 6.
• 5 February – German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in South Africa to discuss trade, investment, and energy issues.
• 11 February – Former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden says he and then U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young were arrested in Soweto when they tried to visit Nelson Mandela on Robben Island in 1977. Young says he was not arrested in South Africa and doubts Biden was.
• 19 February – Speaking from Addis Ababa, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserts that land distribution without compensation would be disastrous for South Africa and its people.
• 21 February – Sixteen children in Zola, Soweto, are hospitalized for eating expired sweets. 39 pupils were hospitalized earlier in the week.
• 5 March - The COVID-19 pandemic spread to South Africa, with the first confirmed case announced on 5 March 2020 by Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize.
• 21 March – Human Rights Day in South Africa

  April to June

• 18 April – President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that lockdown restrictions will be gradually eased. Mines can resume work at 50% capacity and the economy is expected to contract by 6.1% this year.
• 19 April – South African Airways plans to fire all 4,700 employees at the end of April after failing to get any more government subsidies.
• 23 April – President Ramaphosa's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic receive praise. South Africa has confirmed 3,953 cases and 75 deaths so far. The government has earmarked 500 billion rand, or 10% of national output, to fight the virus, keep businesses afloat and prevent the poor—who make up half the population—from going hungry. South Africa has tested 140,000 people, with nearly 4,000 positive cases and 75 deaths.
• 26 April
• *Cuba sends 200 doctors to South Africa.
• *Police Minister Bheki Cele apologised for a "blasphemous" remark made to praying Muslims by a policeman enforcing coronavirus rules. Twenty-four people were arrested in the incident.
• 27 April – Freedom Day
• 1 May
• *International Workers' Day
• *South Africa now enters Level 4 of the national lockdown to ensure the economy can gradually reopen with some easing of other restrictions.
• 12 June – Femicide is described as a second pandemic as more than 20 women and children are murdered in a matter of weeks.
• 25 May – Africa Day
• 16 June – Youth Day

  July to September

• 1 July – COVID-19 pandemic: 159,333 confirmed cases and 2,749 deaths. The worst affected area is Western Cape.
• 6 July – COVID-19 pandemic: Thousands of students from grades 7 to 12 return to classes after schools were closed for four months due to the coronavirus.
• 11 July – COVID-19 pandemic: Confirmed cases doubled in two weeks to 250,000 with 3,800 deaths. Public hospitals are short on medical oxygen.
• 12 July – Four people are killed, six injured, and forty arrested in a hostage situation at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church headquarters in Zuurbekom near Johannesburg.
• 13 July – COVID-19 pandemic: A 9pm to 6pm curfew and a ban on sales of alcohol are reinstituted. Family and social visits remain banned.
• 23 July – More than 17,000 excess deaths from May 6 to July 14 were reported, as compared to data from the past two years, while confirmed COVID-19 deaths have surpassed 6,000. The South African Medical Research Council said the excess deaths could be related to COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, or tuberculosis, although many doctors suspect coronavirus. South Africa now has the world’s fifth largest caseload with 408,052 confirmed cases.

  Scheduled events

• 9 August – National Women's Day
• 24 September – Heritage Day
• 16 December – Day of Reconciliation
• 26 December – Day of Goodwill

  Sports

• 29 November 2019 to 1 February 2020 – 2019–20 CAF Champions League group stage
• 1 December 2019 to 2 February 2020 – 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup group stage
• 17 January to 9 February – 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup
• 20 to 23 April 2020 – 2020 IIHF World Championship Division III, Cape Town
• May TBA – Finals of 2020 African U-17 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament Began January 2020
• 21 June – Finals of 2020 African U-20 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament
• 18 July – The 3TC Solidarity Cup, a charity cricket match with an experimental 3 team format, was played. It marked the return to cricket in the country following the easing of coronavirus related restrictions.
• 8 August to 27 September – 2020 Rugby Championship, featuring Argentina, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
• 5 October to 12 October – 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification — CAF Second Round
• 13 October – 2020 MEA Rugby League Championship, Pretoria

  Television

• 14 March – Scheduled date for the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards

  Deaths

January to March

• 6 January – Richard Maponya, 99, entrepreneur and property developer.
• 18 January – Peter Mathebula, WBA flyweight champion boxer.
• 20 January – Bicks Ndoni, politician.
• 26 January – Santu Mofokeng, 64, South African photographer, progressive supranuclear palsy.
• 7 February – Harold Strachan, 94, South African writer and anti-apartheid activist.
• 11 February – Joseph Shabalala, 78, founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• 20 February – Zoe Gail, 100, South African-born British singer and actress.
• 26 February – Clinton Marius, 53, writer and performer.
• 21 March – Sol Kerzner, 84, hotelier, founder of Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International, cancer.
• 25 March – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, 98, South African traditional healer and conspiracy theorist.
• 31 March – Gita Ramjee, 63, HIV prevention researcher; COVID-19.

  April to June

• 3 April – Constand Viljoen, 86, military officer and politician, MP.
• 17 April – Allan Heyl, bank robber
• 29 April – Denis Goldberg, 87, South African lawyer and political activist, lung cancer.
• 4 May – Cedric Xulu, 80, South African footballer, cancer.
• 11 May – Ewie Cronje, 80, South African cricketer.
• 12 May - Clarence Mini, 68, South African doctor, anti-apartheid fighter, COVID-19.
• 19 May – Mary-Anne Plaatjies van Huffel, 60, South African pastor and academic; complications from surgery
• 2 June – Jeanne Goosen, 81, South African writer.
• 12 June – Kirvan Fortuin, 28, South African dancer, choreographer and LGBTQI activist, stabbed.
• 14 June – Elsa Joubert, 97, South African Sestigers writer, COVID-19.
• 24 June – Nigel Weiss, 83, mathematician.
• 30 June – David Lewis, 98, South African born American urban designer, co-founder of Urban Design Associates.

  July to September

• 4 July – Mary Twala, actress
• 6 July
• *Gordon Kegakilwe, 53, politician; COVID-19.
• *Zithulele Patrick Mvemve, 79, Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop of Johannesburg and Bishop of Klerksdorp.
• 7 July – Henry Jansen, 64, politician, Mayor of Langeberg; COVID-19.
• 8 July
• * Ricardo Mthembu, Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and ANC provincial spokesperson; COVID-19.
• * Queen Noloyiso Sandile, 56, acting Queen of AmaRharhabe; COVOD-19.
• *Louis Mazibuko, 69, sports journalist.
• 9 July – Patricia Majalisa, 53, singer; heart attack.
• 10 July
• *Corra Dirksen, 82, rugby player ; COVID-19.
• *Thomas Manthata, 80, anti-Apartheid activist ; COVID-19.
• 12 July – Alfred Mtsi, 69, politician, Mayor of Buffalo City, COVID-19.
• 13 July – Zindzi Mandela, 59, diplomat and poet, daughter of Nelson Mandela
• 18 July
• *Elize Cawood, 68, actress.
• *Ismail Ebrahim, 73, cricketer.
• *Martha Mmola, South African politician, MP ; COVID-19.
• 21 July – Andrew Mlangeni, 95, politician, anti-Apartheid activist and the last Rivonia Trialst.
• 28 July
• *Candy Moloi, 67, actress, cancer.
• *Diana E. H. Russell, 81, feminist activist and writer.

  Country overviews

• South Africa
• History of South Africa
• History of modern South Africa
• Outline of South Africa
• Government of South Africa
• Politics of South Africa
• National Council of Provinces
• National Assembly of South Africa
• Timeline of South Africa history
• Years in South Africa

  Related timelines for current period

• 2020
• COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
• 2020 in politics and government
• 2020s
• 2020s in political history
• 2020 in East Africa
• 2020 in Middle Africa
• 2020 in North Africa
• 2020 in Southern Africa
• 2020 in West Africa