South Africa is expected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games have been postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the nation's eighth consecutive appearance at the Games in the post-apartheid era, and twentieth overall in Summer Olympic history.
South African athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events : ;Track & road events
Cycling
Road
South Africa entered a squad of five riders to compete in their respective Olympic road races, by virtue of their top 50 national finish and top 22 in the UCI World Ranking.
Athlete
Event
Time
Rank
Men's road race
Men's time trial
Men's road race
Men's road race
Women's road race
Women's time trial
Women's road race
Track
Following the completion of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, South African riders accumulated spots for both men and women in the sprint and keirin, as well as the men's omnium and madison, based on their country's results in the final UCI Olympic rankings. ;Sprint ;Keirin
Athlete
Event
1st Round
Repechage
2nd Round
3rd Round
Final
Athlete
Event
Rank
Rank
Rank
Rank
Rank
Men's keirin
Women's keirin
;Omnium
Mountain biking
South Africa entered one rider each to compete in both men's and women's cross-country race, respectively, by virtue of their best individual ranking at the 2019 African Championships.
Athlete
Event
Time
Rank
Men's cross-country
Women's cross-country
Diving
South Africa sent one diver into the Olympic competition by winning the gold medal in the women's springboard at the 2019 African Qualifying Meet in Durban.
Equestrian
South Africa entered two riders into the Olympic equestrian competition by the following results: a top two finish each, outside the group selection, of the individual FEI Olympic Rankings for Group F in both dressage and eventing, respectively.
Dressage
Qualification Legend: Q = Qualified for the final; q = Qualified for the final as a lucky loser
South Africa entered one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition. Caitlin Rooskrantz received a spare berth from the women's apparatus events, as one of the twelve highest-ranked gymnasts, neither part of the team nor qualified directly through the all-around, at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. ;Women
Rowing
South Africa qualified one boat in the men's pair by finishing third in the B-final and securing ninth out of eleven berths available at the 2019 FISA World Championships in Ottensheim, Austria. Qualification Legend: FA=Final A ; FB=Final B ; FC=Final C ; FD=Final D ; FE=Final E ; FF=Final F ; SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
South Africa sent two surfers to compete in their respective shortboard races at the Games. Bianca Buitendag secured a qualification slot for her nation in the women's shortboard as the highest-ranked and last remaining surfer from Africa at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games in Miyazaki, Japan. On the men's side, Jordy Smith finished within the top ten of those eligible for qualification in the World Surf League rankings to join Buitendag on the South African roster for Tokyo 2020.
