1938 in South Africa

Decades:	1910s; 1920s; 1930s; 1940s; 1950s;
See also:	; List of years in South Africa;

Тhe follоwing lists evеnts that hapрened during 1938 in South Africа.

Incumbents

16 – The cornerstone of the Voortrekker Monument is laid.
23 – A coelacanth, a fish thought to have gone extinct prehistorically, is caught off the east coast near Chalumna River mouth.

A contract is awarded to the Hollandse Anneming Maatschappij Eiendoms Beperk to construct a new Table Bay harbour in Cape Town by reclaiming ground on the Foreshore and building new and deeper docks.^[1]^[2]
South African Jewish Maritime League is established.^[3]

17 January – Percy Qoboza, journalist, author and critic of the Nationalist government, in Sophiatown. (d. 1988)
5 June – David Nthubu Koloane, artist, in Alexandra.
4 July
- Cyril Mitchley, South African cricketer, umpire and match referee.
- Ernie Pieterse, South African racing driver.
13 August – Lindiwe Mabuza, South African politician and diplomat (d. 2021)
12 November – Steve Tshwete, activist and politician, in Springs. (d. 2002)
18 November – Zanele Dlamini Mbeki, former First Lady of South Africa as the wife of former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, founder of Women's Development Bank

6 November – Transvaal – Midway to Bank, 21 miles 2 chains (33.8 kilometres).^[4]

Three new locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
- The first of the Class 15F 4-8-2 Mountain type, at 255 the most numerous steam locomotive class on the South African Railways (SAR).^[5]
- One hundred and thirty-six Class 23 locomotives enter service, the last and the largest 4-8-2 Mountain type locomotive to be designed by the SAR.^[1]^[2]^[5]^[6]
- The first of sixteen Class GM 4-8-2+2-8-4 Double Mountain type Garratt articulated steam locomotives.^[1]^[2]^[7]

^ ^a ^b ^c Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 96–100, 124–125. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
^ ^a ^b ^c Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 75–76, 94–95, 122. ISBN 0869772112.
^ "JML History".
^ Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 191, ref. no. 200954-13
^ ^a ^b Durrant, AE (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott: David & Charles. pp. 90–91, 105. ISBN 0715386387.
^ Touwsrivier – Daos Ab – 1877-1977 (J.H. Stassen, 1977), pp79, 83-85
^ Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer, Peacock, retrieved 10 November 2012