1972 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1972 in South Africa.

• State President: Jim Fouché.
• Prime Minister: John Vorster.
• Chief Justice: Newton Ogilvie Thompson.

May

• 3 – Abram Onkgopotse Tiro is expelled from the University of the North and students protest the expulsion.
• 4 – South Africa and Lesotho decide to establish reciprocal consular representation.

August

• 12 – Oil tankers Oswego-Guardian and Texanita collide near Stilbaai.

October

• 1 – 1 Reconnaissance Commando is established at Oudtshoorn.

Unknown date

• A South African Special Forces team carry out a submarine-borne raid on the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam using the SAS Emily Hobhouse, a Daphne class submarine.
• The South African Police deploys to South West Africa.
• Conscription for all white males is extended from 9 to 12 months, followed by a 19-day annual call-up for five years.
• Operation Plathond, a joint South African Defence Force and South African Bureau of State Security operation, is launched to train dissident Zambians in the Caprivi Strip, South West Africa.

• 2 February – Hendrick Ramaala, long-distance runner.
• 4 February – Sthandiwe Kgoroge, actress.
• 21 February – Mark Andrews (rugby player), rugby player.
• 12 March – Arno Carstens, singer-songwriter, lead singer of Springbok Nude Girls.
• 22 March – Baby Cele, actress.
• 26 March – Willem Jackson, football player
• 3 April – Alfred Ntombela, actor.
• 21 June – Irene van Dyk, South African and New Zealand netball player.
• 23 June – Slindile Nodangala, actress.
• 15 July – Sophie Ndaba, actress.
• 16 August – James Dalton (rugby player), rugby player.
• 25 August – Elmarie Gerryts, pole vaulter.
• 8 September – Os du Randt, Springboks rugby player.
• 16 October – Jacques Nienaber, Springboks coach.
• 28 October – David James, actor.
• 31 October – Shaun Bartlett, former soccer player & coach.
• 14 November – Florence Masebe, actress.
• 7 December – Sean Dundee, football player.
• 16 December – Kuli Roberts, journalist, TV presenter, author
• 23 December – Somizi Mhlongo, choreographer, actor and radio personality.
• 26 December – Colleen Piketh, lawn bowler

• 14 May – Lawrence G. Green, journalist and author. (b. 1900)

• 11 August – Max Theiler, South African-American virologist and physician and Nobel Prize laureate. (b. 1899)

• 2 December – Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, head of the South African Air Force (b. 1891)

• In March the South African Railways places the first of seventy Class 35-000 General Electric type U15C diesel-electric locomotives in branchline service.

1. South Africa
2. 1972 South African Grand Prix
3. Apartheid
4. Sport in South Africa
5. South Africa national soccer team
6. Crime in South Africa
7. White South Africans
8. Bantustan
9. Cabinet of South Africa
10. List of South Africans
11. Television in South Africa
12. Africa
13. South African Navy
14. Provinces of South Africa
15. National anthem of South Africa
16. South Africa at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
17. Israel–South Africa relations
18. South Africa national rugby union team
19. South West Africa
20. Miss South Africa