1923 in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Prince Arthur of Connaught.
• Prime Minister: Jan Smuts.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes.

  Events

• 1 - The Electricity Supply Commission, largest electricity producer in Africa, is established.

• The South African Native National Congress changes its name to African National Congress.

  Births

• 30 April - Francis Tucker, rally Driver.
• 19 May - Johannes Petrus Meintjes, artist and writer.
• 6 August - Moira Lister, South African-born English film, stage and television actress.
• 5 October - Glynis Johns, South African-born Welsh actress.
• 11 November - Pieter van der Byl, politician
• 20 November - Nadine Gordimer, writer and political activist.

  Deaths

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 12 April - Transvaal - Dunswart to Apex deviation,.
• 21 May - Natal - Queen's Bridge to Duff's Road deviation,.
• 8 July - Natal - Canelands, Umdloti to Maidstone deviation,.
• 6 August - Cape - Kamfersdam to Winter's Rush,.
• 9 August - Cape - Belmont to Douglas,.
• 30 October - Transvaal - Settlers to Tuinplaas,.

  Locomotives

• The New Cape Central Railway places two 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt articulated steam locomotives in service. They will be designated Class GK on the South African Railways in 1925.
• Major Frank Dutton, SAR Signal Engineer and the Motor Transport Superintendent, conducts trials with a prototype petrol-paraffin powered Dutton road-rail tractor.
• Mr. C. Lawson, Superintendent Mechanical of the SAR, experiments with gas-electric motive power and constructs a single experimental producer gas-electric locomotive. The locomotive remains in service for several years but the gas-electric concept will eventually be superseded by diesel-electric traction.