1937 in South Africa

• Monarch: King George VI.
• Governor-General:
  • The Earl of Clarendon (until 19 March),
  • John Stephen Curlewis (acting, 19 March to 5 April)
  • Sir Patrick Duncan (starting 5 April).
• Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog.
• Chief Justice: John Stephen Curlewis.

January

• 15 – The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes in Johannesburg.^[1]

February

• 1 – The Aliens Act No. 1 is promulgated, restricting and regulating the entry of certain aliens into the Union of South Africa and regulating the right of any person to assume a surname.

April

• 5 – Sir Patrick Duncan is appointed the 6th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the first South African to hold the position.

• Eric Bhamuza Sono, captain of Orlando Pirates F.C. and was the father of soccer player & coach Jomo Sono (d. 1964)
• 29 March – Marike de Klerk, politician, First Lady of South Africa, as the wife of State President Frederik Willem de Klerk, from 1989-1994
• 5 May – Ray Ntlokwana, actor, affectionately known as "Velaphi" following his lead role in the SABC Xhosa play, Velaphi
• 1 July – Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, political activist (d. 2021)
• 4 July – Clive Scott (actor), actor
• 6 July – Bessie Head, writer (d. 1986)
• 18 September – Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician, in Kroonstad. (d. 2009)
• 19 October – Jonas Gwangwa, jazz musician, songwriter and producer

Locomotives

Four new locomotive types, three steam and one electric, enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):

• The first of 235 Class 19D 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives.^[2][3][4]
• A single Class 21 2-10-4 Texas type steam locomotive.^[3][4][5]
• The first of thirty-four Class NG G16 narrow gauge 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt locomotives.^[4][5]
• Three German-built 3 kV DC Class 2E electric locomotives.^[6]