1964 in South Africa

• State President: Charles Robberts Swart.^[1]
• Prime Minister: Hendrik Verwoerd.
• Chief Justice: Lucas Cornelius Steyn.

January

• 31 – The University of Port Elizabeth is established.

February

• South Africa is suspended from the International Labour Organization.

March

• 11 – South Africa withdraws from the International Labour Organization.

June

• 5 – South Africa is expelled from the Universal Postal Union in Vienna.
• 12 – In the Rivonia Trial, Nelson Mandela's original 5-year sentence is extended to life sentence for high treason together with Denis Goldberg, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi and Walter Sisulu.

July

• 17 – Nelson Mandela is awarded the Joliot Curie Gold Medal for Peace.^[2]
• 24 – John Harris, a schoolteacher, explodes a bomb at Park Station, killing 77-year-old Ethel Rhys and injuring 23 others.

August

• 18 – The International Olympic Committee bans South Africa from the Tokyo Olympics on the grounds that its teams are racially segregated.

November

• 6 – Vuyisile Mini is being hanged due to death penalty for treason together with Wilson Khayinga and Zinakile Mkaba.

Unknown date

• The African National Congress establishes offices in Dar-es-Salaam.
• The Mahotella Queens are formed by producer Rupert Bopape in the Johannesburg studios of Gallo Record Company.
• The Munitions Production Board is formed in order to develop South African self-sufficiency in the manufacturing of arms.
• Neville Alexander is imprisoned on Robben Island.

November

• The Little Rivonia Trial begins.

December

• In the Little Rivonia Trial, sentence was introduced for another treason:
  Wilton Mkwayi received life sentence; Dave Kitson twenty years; Laloo Chiba eighteen years; John Matthews fifteen years and Mac Maharaj twelve years.

• 13 January – Laurette Maritz, golfer
• 21 January – Mark Gleeson (journalist), soccer commentator & journalist
• 24 February – Wendy Oldfield, singer
• 18 March – Yvonne Chaka Chaka, singer & businesswoman
• 5 April – Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, King of the abaThembu
• 15 April – André Joubert, rugby player
• 13 April – Colleen De Reuck, long-distance runner
• 16 May – Kobus Wiese, former rugby player & tv personality
• 18 May – Balie Swart, rugby player
• 10 June – Keketso Semoko, actress and producer
• 11 July – Gavin Hunt, football coach
• 20 July – Deon Lotz, actor
• 26 July – Pitso Mosimane, former football player & coach
• 3 August – Lucky Dube, reggae musician (d. 2007)
• 19 August – Hector Pieterson, schoolboy who was shot and killed in Soweto uprising (d. 1976)
• 4 September – Menzi Ngubane, actor (d. 2021)
• 1 October – Roger De Sa, former football player & coach
• 5 October – Masoja Msiza, actor and poet
• 3 November – Brenda Fassie, singer (d. 2004)
• 12 December – Ringo Madlingozi, musician

• 7 June – Charlie Llewellyn, first non-white South African test cricketer. (b. 1876)
• 6 November – Vuyisile Mini, South African anti-apartheid activist. (b. 1920)

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places the first of one hundred Class 5E1, Series 3 electric locomotives in mainline service, built by Union Carriage & Wagon in Nigel, Transvaal.^[3][4]

• Papwa Sewgolum, an Indian golfer, wins the Dutch Open tournament for the third time.