2021 in South Africa

The Cabinet, together with the President and the Deputy President, forms the Executive.

• 7 January – COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa: Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announces that South Africa will receive one million doses of Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine in January and 500,000 in February. 1.25 million health workers will be prioritized. SA has confirmed 1.1 million infections and 31,368 deaths.[1]
• 25 January – A five-year-old boy in Mpumalanga [2]dies and thousands are homeless as Cyclone Eloise causes extensive flooding in southern Africa. Limpopo is particuarly hard hit.[3][4]
• 1 February
  • Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reports that rhinoceros poaching in South Africa is down for the sixth year in a row, to 394 animals killed in 2020 for their horns. She attributed the decline to both the COVID-19 pandemic and to work by rangers and security personell and noted that it is still a major problem.[5]
  • Former president Jacob Zuma defies the Constitutional Court and refuses to testify to the Zondo Commission.[6]

• 2021 South African municipal elections

South Africa has 12 public holidays; if a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated the following Monday.[7]

• 5 January – Mluleki George, 72, politician, founder of the United Congress; COVID-19.[8]
• 6 January – King Victor Thulare III, 40, royal, king of the Pedi people (since 2020); COVID-19.[9]
• 9 January – Johnson Mlambo, 80, political activist; complications from COVID-19.[10]
• 11 January – Lindiwe Ndlovu, 44, actress (Winnie Mandela, Little One).[11]
• 13 January – Hannes Viljoen, 77, rugby union player (Natal, national team).[12]
• 14 January
  • Mzwandile Nzimande, 44; Covid-19.[13]
  • Hannes Viljoen, 77, rugby union player (Natal, national team).[14]
• 15 January - Dr. Welcome Bhodloza Nzimande, 73, radio broadcaster (1978-1997); COVID-19.[15][16]
• 16 January
  • Bheki Ntuli, 63, politician, member of the National Assembly (1999–2003); COVID-19.[17]
  • Sam Phillips, 72, actor (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Red Dust, The Forgotten Kingdom).[18]
• 17 January – Abel Gabuza, 65, Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop Coadjutor of Durban (since 2018) and Bishop of Kimberley (2010–2018); COVID-19.[19]
• 18 January – Nombulelo Hermans, politician, member of the National Assembly (since 2019); COVID-19.[20]
• 21 January - Jackson Mthembu, 62, politician (Minister in the Presidency); COVID-19.[21][22]
• 22 January – Marius van Heerden, 46, Olympic middle-distance runner (1996); COVID-19.[23]
• 23 January - Jonas Mosa Gwangwa, 83, jazz musician.[24]
• 24 January – Joseph Sonnabend, 88, physician and HIV/AIDS researcher (How to Have Sex in an Epidemic); complications from a heart attack.[25]
• 28 January
  • Sibongile Khumalo, 63, singer.[26]
  • Lewis Wolpert, 91, South African-born British developmental biologist, COVID-19.[27]
• January (date unknown) – Dorah Sitole, 65, food writer (40 Years of Iconic Food); COVID-19.[28]