The following lists events that happened during 1948 in South Africa. Incumbents Monarch: King George VI. Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Gideon Brand van Zyl. Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts (until 4 June), Daniel François Malan (starting 4 June). Chief Justice: Ernest Frederick Watermeyer. Events January 4 – Prince Edward Island is annexed. March 13 – Dr. K. Goonam leads a batch of twelve passive resisters across the Natal-Transvaal border. May 26 – The National Party wins the General Elections in coalition with the Afrikaner Party (AP). 28 – The National Party forms a new South African government as incumbent prime minister Jan Smuts loses his seat. June 4 – Daniel François Malan is elected the 4th Prime Minister of South Africa. 12 – The first Rembrandt cigarettes are manufactured. September 8 – A group of 83 German children, orphaned by the war, arrives in Table Bay. 10 – The German orphans reach Pretoria to settle in South Africa. October 15 – Foreign Minister Eric Louw informs Commonwealth leaders that South Africa is not prepared to allow interference in its domestic affairs. Births 27 January – Irvin Khoza, football administrator, chairman of Orlando Pirates F.C., president of the Premier Soccer League 2 February – Mluleki George, politician. 10 February – Paul Slabolepszy, actor and playwright. 24 June – Dave Orchard, cricketer. 9 July – Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph, composer, pianist and teacher. 18 July – Graham Spanier, 16th President of Pennsylvania State University 27 July – Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, King of the Zulu. 27 July – Gavin Watson, businessman (d. 2019). 30 July – John Briscoe, South African-American epidemiologist, engineer, and academic (d. 2014) 5 September – Pumza Dyantyi, politician and anti-apartheid activist (d. 2020) 17 October – S'bu Ndebele, politician, government minister 25 October – Lauritz Dippenaar, self made millionaire businessman, investor and banker who was the Chairman of FirstRand financial Group. 10 December – Thamsanga Mnyele, artist and activist. (d. 1985) 13 December Lillian Board, South African-born English Olympic athlete. (d. 1970) William Flynn, actor and comedian, (d. 2007) Deaths 2 February – Bevil Rudd, athlete. (b. 1894) 25 February – Alexander du Toit, geologist. (b. 1878) 3 December – Jan Hofmeyr, Prime Minister of South Africa. (b. 1894) Railways Railway lines opened 7 June – Free State: Whites to Odendaalsrus, . Sports South Africa at the 1948 Summer Olympics English cricket team in South Africa in 1948–49