1971 in South Africa

Incumbents

• State President: Jim Fouché
• Prime Minister: John Vorster
• Chief Justice: Lucas Cornelius Steyn, then Newton Ogilvie Thompson

Events

;February

• 27 – The oil tanker Wafra grounds near Cape Agulhas, causing considerable environmental damage.

;March

• 10 – Two Buccaneer aircraft of 24 Squadron SAAF, prescribed to by Headquarters, attempt to sink SS Wafra with AS-30 missiles but succeeds only in starting a fire.
• 12 – A Shackleton aircraft of 35 Squadron SAAF, not prescribed to by Headquarters, sinks SS Wafra in 6000 ft of water using depth charges.

;Unknown date

• St Lucia Lake and the turtle beaches and coral reefs of Maputaland are listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR).
• The International Court of Justice gives an advisory opinion supporting the view of the United Nations for South Africa to relinquish control of South West Africa.
• Kamuzu Banda, president of Malawi, is the first Black President to visit South Africa.

Births

• 20 February – Joost van der Westhuizen, rugby scrum-half (d. 2017)
• 3 March – Jet Novuka, actor
• 15 March – Naka Drotské, rugby player
• 8 April – Fikile Mbalula, national minister
• 22 April – Jannie de Beer, rugby player
• 13 May – Fana Mokoena, actor
• 28 June – Elon Musk, South African-born Canadian-American entrepreneur, engineer, inventor and investor
• 21 July – Robby Brink, rugby player
• 30 July – Mzukisi Sikali, triple world champion boxer (d. 2005)
• 4 September – Lance Klusener, cricket player
• 15 September – Wayne Ferreira, tennis player
• 28 September – Braam van Straaten, rugby player
• 8 October – Krynauw Otto, rugby player
• 22 October – Amanda Coetzer, tennis player
• 26 October – Brendan Augustine, soccer player
• 12 November – Gert Thys, long-distance runner
• 14 November – Nick Boraine, actor
• 29 November – Esme Kruger, lawn bowler
• 3 December – Pieter Rossouw, rugby player
• 17 December – Alan Khan, media and radio personality

Deaths

• 27 October – Ahmed Timol, activist and political leader. (b. 1941)

Railways

Locomotives

Four new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways:

• July – The first of 125 Class 34-000 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives.
• October – The first of fifty Class 34-200 General Motors Electro-Motive Division type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives.
• Fifty Class 6E1, Series 2 electric locomotives.
• The first of one hundred and fifty Class 6E1, Series 3 locomotives.

References

References

1. [http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_pres1/ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994] (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
2. (December 2018)
3. "Elon Musk {{!}} Biography, SpaceX, Tesla, & Facts {{!}} Britannica".
4. (August 2025). "Lawn Bowls | Athlete Profile: Esme KRUGER - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games".
5. {{Paxton-Bourne
6. South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended