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See also: 1954 in South Africa, other events of 1955, 1956 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history.

Events

January

• Mimi Coertse makes her debut as the First Flower girl in Parsifal at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples with Karl Böhm conducting.

March

• 4 - 5 March - The Inaugural Conference of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) is held at the Trades Hall in Johannesburg
• 23 March - The Meadowridge garden city opens near Cape Town
• 25 March - The Appeal Court increases from six to eleven members

April

• 22 April - The National Tea and Coffee Company is founded

June

• 20 June - The Senate is enlarged from 48 to 89 members, giving the National Party a majority of 77
• 25 June - The Congress of the People, a multi-racial convention starts in Kliptown, Soweto
• 30 June - United Kingdom and South Africa sign the Simonstown Agreement for bilateral naval defence.

August

• 30 August - Rondalia (a tourist club) is founded

September

• 3 September - The South Africa national football team beats the Australia national football team 3-0 at the Brisbane Cricket Grounds, Australia, in the South African tour of Australia
• 10 September - The South Africa national football team beats the Australia national football team 2-0 at the Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia, in the South African tour of Australia
• 18 September - The South Africa national football team beats the Australia national football team 8-0 at the OlyKensington Oval, Adelaide, Australia, in the South African tour of Australia
• 24 September - The South Africa national football team beats the Australia national football team 6-0 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia, in the South African tour of Australia

October

• 1 October - The South Africa national football team beats the Australia national football team 4-1 at the Newcastle's Sports Grounds,Australia, in the South African tour of Australia

December

• 1 December - The Voortrekker Covenant celebrations are held in Pietermaritzburg
• 17 - 18 December - African National Congress' 44th Annual Conference is held in Bloemfontein
  • Lillian Masediba Ngoyi becomes a member of the Transvaal African National Congress' executive

Births

• Mbongeni Ngema, a writer, lyricist, composer and director is born in Verulam
• 20 June - Dumisani Abraham Mabaso, artist, is born in Soweto
• 4 August - Gerhardus Christian Coetzee, the World Boxing Association heavyweight boxing champion, is born in Boksburg
• 23 September - Lulama Xingwana, politician
• 11 October - Anthony Molebatsi Nkotsi, artist is born in Johannesburg
• 3 November - Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, politician

Deaths

• 13 March - Benjamin Jennings Caddy, a militant trade unionist who was arrested in the 1922 miners strike and who is regarded as the doyen of the trade union movement in South Africa, dies in Johannesburg