1940 in South Africa

• Monarch: King George VI.
• Governor-General : Sir Patrick Duncan
• Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
• Chief Justice: James Stratford.

January

• 27 – A peace resolution introduced in the Parliament of South Africa is defeated 81–59.
• 29 – The Herenigde Nasionale Party is established.

June

• 11 – The Union of South Africa declares war on Italy.

December

• 3 – The Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Renown and aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal arrive at Cape Town.

• 19 January – Barend du Plessis, government minister
• 31 January – Kitch Christie, Springbok rugby coach. (d. 1998)
• 9 February – J. M. Coetzee, writer and 2003 Nobel Prize laureate.
• 18 February – Prue Leith, restaurateur and broadcaster.
• 22 February – Johnson Mlambo, Pan Africanist Congress politician.
• 8 March – Fred Brownell, herald, designer of the Flag of South Africa.^[1]
• 6 June – Tiger Lance, cricketer. (d. 2010)
• 28 August – Joseph Shabalala, choral director (d. 2020)
• 9 October – Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician. (d. 2009)
• 21 October – Manfred Mann, South African-British rock musician.
• 25 December – Aziz Pahad, politician (d. 2023)^[2]

• 1 June – Jan F. E. Celliers, poet, writer and dramatist. (b. 1865)
• 10 August – Abe Bailey, diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer. (b. 1864)

Railway lines opened

• 12 January – Transvaal: Crown to Langlaagte, 3 miles 18 chains (5.2 kilometres).^[3]
• 2 December – Transvaal: Germiston to Jupiter, 2 miles 68 chains (4.6 kilometres).^[3]

• Faulkner, Donna (2014). Mandela. New Word City. ISBN 978-1-61230-749-7.