<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive -->

<!-- IF POSSIBLE, PLEASE USE PRESENT TENSE -->

The following lists events that happened during 1937 in South Africa.

Incumbents

  • Monarch: King George VI.
  • Governor-General:
  • The Earl of Clarendon (until 19 March),
  • John Stephen Curlewis (acting, 19 March to 5 April)
  • Sir Patrick Duncan (starting 5 April).
  • Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog.
  • Chief Justice: John Stephen Curlewis.

Events

;January

  • 15 &ndash; The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes in Johannesburg.

;February

  • 1 &ndash; The Aliens Act No. 1 is promulgated, restricting and regulating the entry of certain aliens into the Union of South Africa and regulating the right of any person to assume a surname.

;April

  • 5 &ndash; Sir Patrick Duncan is appointed the 6th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the first South African to hold the position.

October

  • 1 &ndash; The Afrikaner nationalist newspaper Die Transvaler was launched in Johannesburg by Voortrekkerpers, with Hendrik Verwoerd (future prime minister and architect) as its first editor. It was a pro-National Party and played a crucial role in promoting Afrikaner nationalism.

Births

  • Eric Bhamuza Sono, captain of Orlando Pirates F.C. and was the father of soccer player & coach Jomo Sono (d. 1964)
  • 29 March &ndash; Marike de Klerk, politician, First Lady of South Africa, wife of F. W. de Klerk (d. 2001)
  • 5 May &ndash; Ray Ntlokwana, actor, affectionately known as "Velaphi" following his lead role in the SABC Xhosa play, Velaphi
  • 1 July &ndash; Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, political activist (d. 2021)
  • 4 July &ndash; Clive Scott (actor), actor
  • 6 July &ndash; Bessie Head, writer (d. 1986)
  • 4 August &ndash; Koos van der Merwe, politician (d. 2024)
  • 18 September &ndash; Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician, in Kroonstad. (d. 2009)
  • 19 October &ndash; Jonas Gwangwa, jazz musician, songwriter and producer

Deaths

Railways

thumb|[[South African Class NG G16 2-6-2+2-6-2|Class NG G16]]

Locomotives

Four new locomotive types, three steam and one electric, enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):

  • The first of 235 Class 19D 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives.
  • A single Class 21 Texas type steam locomotive.
  • The first of thirty-four South African Class NG G16 2-6-2+2-6-2| narrow gauge 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt locomotives.

References