1970 in South Africa

Incumbents

• State President: Jim Fouché.
• Prime Minister: John Vorster.
• Chief Justice: Lucas Cornelius Steyn.

  Events

• 21 - Prime Minister John Vorster and Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith hold private talks.

• 12 - Mangosuthu Buthelezi is elected first Chief Executive Officer of the black homeland of KwaZulu.

• 7 - The U.N. General Assembly supports the isolation of South Africa for its apartheid policies.

  Births

• 4 January - Marc Batchelor, soccer player
• 7 January - Sizwe Motaung, soccer player
• 30 January - Hans Vonk, soccer goalkeeper
• 30 March - Ruben Kruger, rugby player
• 19 February - Kurt Darren, singer
• 30 March - Leleti Khumalo, actress
• 12 May - Steve Palframan, cricketer
• 22 May - Pollen Ndlanya soccer player
• 3 June - Johan Ackermann, rugby player & coach
• 10 June - Connie Ferguson, Botswana-born South African actress
• 20 June - Athol Williams, poet and social philosopher
• 3 July - Deon Kayser, rugby player
• 30 July - Eric Tinkler, soccer player
• 8 August - Chester Williams, rugby player
• 10 September - Phaswane Mpe, poet and novelist
• 28 September - Vatiswa Ndara, actress
• 27 October - Tina Jaxa, actress
• 14 November - André Venter, rugby player
• 5 December - Sibusiso Vilane, adventurer, motivational speaker & author, first black African to summit Mount Everest

  Deaths

Railways

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places the first of eighty Class 6E mainline electric locomotives in service. Two are also built for Iscor for use at the Sishen iron ore mine.

  Sports

Rugby

• 10 January - The South African Springboks draw 8–8 with Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland.