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The following lists events that happened during 1953 in South Africa.
Incumbents
- Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.
- Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Ernest George Jansen.
- Prime Minister: Daniel François Malan.
- Chief Justice: Albert van der Sandt Centlivres.
Events
;May
- 9 – The Liberal Party of South Africa is formed in Cape Town by Alan Paton.
;July
- 29 – Santam Insurance Company is registered, following the separation of trust and insurance operations.
;September
- Mimi Coertse leaves South Africa for London.
;December
- 18–20 – The 42nd Annual Conference of the African National Congress takes place in Queenstown.
;Unknown date
- The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), banned by the National Party government, relaunches itself underground as the South African Communist Party (SACP).
- Bantu Education Act is voted, and will start 1 January 1954.
Births
- 12 January – Steven De Groote, classical pianist. (d. 1989)
- 13 January – Derek Hanekom, activist and politician.
- 15 February – Mantfombi Dlamini, Queen Consort of the Zulu Nation. (d. 2021)
- 5 March – Tokyo Sexwale, businessman, politician and activist.
- 29 April – Bill Drummond, British musician
- 22 October – Loyiso Nongxa, mathematician.
- 7 December – Naledi Pandor, national minister
Deaths
- 1 July – Totius, Afrikaans poet. (b. 1877)
Railways
thumb|[[South African Class 25 4-8-4|Class 25]]
thumb|[[South African Class 25NC 4-8-4|Class 25NC]]
Railway lines opened
- 14 October – Cape – Lohatla to Sishen, .
Locomotives
Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
- The first of ninety Class 25 4-8-4 Northern type condensing steam locomotives.
- The first of fifty Class 25NC non-condensing versions of the Class 25 Condenser.