← 1919 1918 1917 1920 in South Africa → 1921 1922 1923
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1920 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:
  • The Viscount Buxton (until 19 November).^[1]
  • Prince Arthur of Connaught (from 20 November).^[1]
• Prime Minister: Jan Smuts.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes.

Events

January

• 10 – The League of Nations is established as the Treaty of Versailles goes into effect.

February

• 1 – The South African Air Force (SAAF) is established, the second autonomous Air Force in the world after the Royal Air Force (RAF).^[2]

November

• 20 – Prince Arthur of Connaught is appointed the 3rd Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.

December

• 17 – South Africa is granted a League of Nations Class C mandate over South West Africa.

Births

• 12 February – Raymond Mhlaba, anti-apartheid activist and politician. (d. 2005)
• 20 February – Zoe Gail, singer and actress. (d. 2020)
• 9 March – Robert Resha, journalist and political dissident. (d. 1974)
• 20 March – Lionel Bernstein, anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner (d. 2002)
• 8 April – Vuyisile Mini, anti-apartheid activist and politician. (d. 1964)
• 12 May – Gerald Stapleton, Battle of Britain fighter pilot. (d. 2010)
• 11 June – David Millin, movie director, producer, and cinematographer. (d. 1999)
• 11 July – Edison Ntsanwisi, politician and Chief Minister of Gazankulu. (d. 1993)
• 30 July – Harry Gwala, anti-apartheid activist and politician. (d. 1995)
• 8 August – Nimrod Sejake, labour leader and activist. (d. 2004)
• 11 September – Hymie Barsel, political activist. (d. 1987)
• 12 September – Michiel Daniel Overbeek, amateur astronomer and prolific variable star observers. (d. 2001)
• 24 December – Richard Maponya, entrepreneur and property developer. (d. 2020)

Deaths

• 11 December – Olive Schreiner, author and feminist, in Cape Town. (b. 1855)

Railways

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places thirty Class 12B 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives in mainline service.^[3][4]