title: 1937 in South Africa
text: # 1937 in South Africa
  
  The following lists events that happened during 1937 in South Africa.
  
  ## Incumbents
  
  * Monarch: King George VI.
  * Governor-General:
     * The Earl of Clarendon (until 19 March),
     * John Stephen Curlewis (acting, 19 March to 5 April)
     * Sir Patrick Duncan (starting 5 April).
  * Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog.
  * Chief Justice: John Stephen Curlewis.
  
  ## Events
  
  ### January
  
  * 15 – The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes in Johannesburg.
  
  ### February
  
  * 1 – The Aliens Act No. 1 is promulgated, restricting and regulating the entry of certain aliens into the Union of South Africa and regulating the right of any person to assume a surname.
  
  ### April
  
  * 5 – Sir Patrick Duncan is appointed the 6th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the first South African to hold the position.
  
  ## Births
  
  * Eric Bhamuza Sono, captain of Orlando Pirates F.C. and was the father of soccer player & coach Jomo Sono (d. 1964)
  * 29 March – Marike de Klerk, politician, First Lady of South Africa, as the wife of State President Frederik Willem de Klerk, from 1989-1994
  * 5 May – Ray Ntlokwana, actor, affectionately known as "Velaphi" following his lead role in the SABC Xhosa play, Velaphi
  * 1 July – Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, political activist (d. 2021)
  * 4 July – Clive Scott (actor), actor
  * 6 July – Bessie Head, writer (d. 1986)
  * 18 September – Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician, in Kroonstad. (d. 2009)
  * 19 October – Jonas Gwangwa, jazz musician, songwriter and producer
  
  ## Railways
  
  ### Locomotives
  
  Four new locomotive types, three steam and one electric, enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
  
  * The first of 235 Class 19D 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives.
  * A single Class 21 2-10-4 Texas type steam locomotive.
  * The first of thirty-four Class NG G16 narrow gauge 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt locomotives.
  * Three German-built 3 kV DC Class 2E electric locomotives.
  