1989 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1989 in South Africa.

Incumbents

State President:
P.W. Botha (until 15 August).
F.W. de Klerk (acting from 15 August, incumbent from 20 September).

;June

Four bystanders are injured when a limpet mine explodes under a police vehicle in Duduza.
A limpet mine explodes under a vehicle parked outside a policeman's home in Tsakane.
A grenade is thrown at a police patrol in Tsakane.
A limpet mine explodes in a rubbish bin outside the home of a policeman in Soweto.
A bomb shatters the windows of KwaThema Police station's dining hall.
A limpet mine explodes at the Police single quarters in Ratanda.
A limpet mine explodes at the home of Boetie Abramjee, a National Party MP.

;July

5 – State President P.W. Botha and Nelson Mandela, in prison at the time, meet for the first time.
23 – An explosive device planted at Athlone Magistrate's Court and police complex detonates prematurely, killing two African National Congress members.

;August

15 – P.W. Botha resigns and F.W. de Klerk succeeds him as acting State President.

;November

27 – The Hex River Tunnels system is officially opened. The system's longest tunnel at long is the longest railway tunnel in Africa.
30 – Judgement was handed down by the Appellate Division under Chief Judge Michael Corbett in the Administrator, Cape, v Ntshwaqela case.

;Unknown date

The Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves are joined through the Corridor Reserve as the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.
The government starts dismantling its six nuclear fission devices.

Births

15 January – Akhumzi Jezile, actor, television presenter and producer (d. 2018)
15 January – Kylie Louw, footballer
21 January – Brady Barends, cricketer
4 February – Nkosi Johnson, HIV/AIDS (d. 2001)
10 February – Simon Harmer, cricketer
22 February – JJ Engelbrecht, rugby player
24 February – Lauren Brant; Australian entertainer
9 March – Carina Horn, sprinter
9 March – Luthando Shosha, tv presenter & radio personality
22 March – Coenie Oosthuizen, rugby player
24 March – Jennifer Fry, badminton player
4 April – Dane Paterson, cricketer
13 April – Gerhard van den Heever, rugby union player
28 April – Alistair Vermaak, rugby union player
4 May – Trevor Nyakane, rugby player
11 May – Ashleigh Buhai, golfer
14 May – Melinda Bam, beauty pageant contestant and model
2 June – Dean Burmester, golfer
10 June – David Miller, cricketer
18 July – Mandla Masango, football player
25 July – Victor Hogan, discus thrower
26 July – Ross Cronjé, rugby union player
30 July – Wayne Parnell, cricketer
2 August – Vanes-Mari Du Toit, netball player
2 August – Rudy Paige, rugby player
3 August – Themba Zwane, football player
5 August – Darren Keet, footballer
9 August – Lunga Shabalala, actor & tv personality.
18 August – Willie le Roux, rugby player
13 September – Jurgen Visser, rugby union player
15 September Nandipha Magudumana, celebrity doctor
4 October – Madoda Yako, rugby union player
9 October – Rilee Rossouw, cricketer
25 October – Lejeanne Marais, figure skater
6 November – Cherise Taylor, road cyclist
18 December – Thulani Hlatshwayo, South africa national football team captain
25 December – Pat O'Brien, rugby union player
29 December – Sibusiso Vilakazi, football player

Deaths

1 May – David Webster, academic and activist. (b. 1944)
22 May – Steven De Groote, classical pianist. (b. 1953)
12 September – Anton Lubowski, advocate and secretary-general of SWAPO. (b. 1952)

Railways

thumb|[[South African Class NG G16A 2-6-2+2-6-2|Class NG G16A]]

Locomotives

A Class Garratt locomotive is rebuilt to Class NG G16A by the Alfred County Railway.
The South African Railways places the first of twenty-five Class 10E2 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in mainline service.

Sports

Athletics

25 February – Willie Mtolo wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:13 in Port Elizabeth.