1970 in South Africa

Decades:	1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s;
See also:	; List of years in South Africa;

The following lists events that happened during 1970 in South Africa.

Incumbents

21 – Prime Minister John Vorster and Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith hold private talks.

12 – Mangosuthu Buthelezi is elected first Chief Executive Officer of the black homeland of KwaZulu.

7 – The U.N. General Assembly supports the isolation of South Africa for its apartheid policies.

4 January – Marc Batchelor, soccer player (d. 2019)
7 January – Sizwe Motaung, soccer player (d. 2001)
30 January – Hans Vonk (footballer), soccer goalkeeper
30 March – Ruben Kruger, rugby player (d. 2010)
19 February – Kurt Darren, singer
2 March – Nicolene Neal, lawn bowler^[2]
30 March – Leleti Khumalo, actress
12 May – Steve Palframan, cricketer
22 May – Pollen Ndlanya soccer player
3 June – Johan Ackermann, rugby player & coach
10 June – Connie Ferguson, Botswana-born South African actress
20 June – Athol Williams (AE Ballakisten), poet and social philosopher
3 July – Deon Kayser, rugby player
30 July – Eric Tinkler, soccer player
8 August – Chester Williams, rugby player (d. 2019)
10 September – Phaswane Mpe, poet and novelist (d. 2004)
28 September – Vatiswa Ndara, actress
27 October – Tina Jaxa, actress
14 November – André Venter, rugby player
5 December – Sibusiso Vilane, adventurer, motivational speaker & author, first black African to summit Mount Everest

The South African Railways places the first of eighty Class 6E mainline electric locomotives in service. Two are also built for Iscor for use at the Sishen iron ore mine.^[3]^[4]^[5]

10 January – The South African Springboks draw 8–8 with Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland.

^ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
^ "Lawn Bowls | Athlete Profile: Nicolene NEAL - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". results.gc2018.com. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended
^ Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. pp. 54, 63.
^ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 128–129. ISBN 0869772112.