Incumbents

Events

17 – The Federation of South African Women is launched in Johannesburg.
23 – The Afrikaans-German Culture Union (Afrikaanse-Deutsche Kultuurgemeinschaft - ADK) is founded in Pretoria.

14 – Sasolburg is established near the Sasol plant in the northern Orange Free State.

10 – The much-travelled statue of Paul Kruger is unveiled in Church Square, Pretoria by Dr. D.F. Malan.
11 – Daniel François Malan announces his retirement.

16–19 – The 43rd Annual Conference of the African National Congress is held in Durban.

13 January – Trevor Rabin, South African–American musician, founder member of Rabbitt.
2 May – Bulelani Ngcuka, first national director of the National Prosecuting Authority.
10 May – Lindiwe Sisulu, member of Parliament of South Africa, national minister.
10 June – Nelson Dladla, Teenage Dladla, soccer player.
23 August – Ngconde Balfour, politician.
23 September – Mavis Davies, Local Politician and longest serving Councilor in the history of Mtubatuba Local Municipality
12 October – Duma Ndlovu, filmmaker, poet, playwright. Well known for creating Muvhango & Uzalo TV shows.
5 November – Koos Kombuis, poet, singer, entertainer and writer.
26 November – John Matshikiza, actor, theatre director, poet and journalist. (d. 2008)
21 December – Gysie Pienaar, rugby player & father of rugby player Ruan Pienaar

Further information: Category:1954 deaths

Two new Cape gauge steam locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR).

The first of 120 Class GMA branch line and Class GMAM mainline 4-8-2+2-8-4 "Double Mountain" Garratt articulated locomotives.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]
Twenty-five Class GO 4-8-2+2-8-4 "Double Mountain" light branch line Garratt locomotives.^[1]^[2]^[4]

^ ^a ^b Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 110–114. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
^ ^a ^b Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 95–96. ISBN 0869772112.
^ Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer, Peacock, retrieved 10 November 2012
^ ^a ^b Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives from Other Builders, retrieved 10 November 2012

v t e 1954 in Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)