View source for Prime Minister of South Africa

{{Short description|Head of government of South Africa (1910–1984)}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2025}}
{{Use South African English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = Prime Minister
|body            = South Africa
|insignia        = Coat of Arms of South Africa (1932-2000).svg
|insigniasize    = 100px
|insigniacaption = [[Coat of Arms of South Africa]]
|native_name     = {{small|{{lang|af|Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika}}}}
|image           = PW Botha 1962.jpg
|imagecaption    =  '''Last in office'''<br>'''[[Pieter Willem Botha]]'''<br>9 October 1978 – 14 September 1984
|style           = [[The Right Honourable]] {{small|(until 1961)}}
|residence       =
|appointer       = [[Governor-General of South Africa]] {{small|(1910–1961)}}<br />[[State President of South Africa]] {{small|(1961–1984)}}
|termlength      = Whilst commanding the confidence of the [[House of Assembly of South Africa|House of Assembly]]
|first           = [[Louis Botha]]
|formation       = 31 May 1910
|last            = [[P. W. Botha|Pieter Willem Botha]]
|abolished       = 14 September 1984
|succession      = [[Tricameral Parliament|Executive]] [[State President of South Africa]]
}}

The '''prime minister of South Africa''' ({{langx|af|Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika)}} was the [[head of government]] in [[South Africa]] between 1910 and 1984.

==History of the office==

[[File:Botha gouvernment 1910.jpg|thumb|The first Prime Minister of South Africa, Louis Botha (sitting at the centre of the desk), with [[First Cabinet of Louis Botha|his First Cabinet]], 1910.]]

The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the [[Union of South Africa]] was formed. He was appointed by the [[Monarchy of South Africa|monarch]]’s representative in the country—the [[Governor-General of the Union of South Africa|governor-general]] until 1961 and the [[State President of South Africa|state president]] after South Africa became a republic in 1961. In practice, he was the leader of the majority party or coalition in the [[House of Assembly of South Africa|House of Assembly]]. With few exceptions, the governor-general/state president was bound by convention to act on the prime minister's advice. Thus, the prime minister was the country's leading political figure and ''[[de facto]]'' chief executive, with powers similar to those of his [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British counterpart]].

The first prime minister was [[Louis Botha]], a former [[Boer]] general and war hero during the [[Second Boer War]].

The position of Prime Minister was abolished in 1984, when the State President was given executive powers after a [[South African Constitution of 1983|new constitution]] was adopted – effectively merging the role of Prime Minister and State President. The last Prime Minister of South Africa, [[P. W. Botha]], became the first executive State President after the constitutional reform in 1984 after [[Marais Viljoen]]'s retirement.

In post-apartheid South Africa, the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]] has called for a return to a Westminster-style split executive with a Prime Minister as head of government, which is part of its overarching goal of avoiding a [[One-party state|single-party]] South African state.<ref>[http://www.polity.org.za/article/ifp-statement-by-mangosuthu-butehlezi-inkatha-freedom-party-leader-welcomes-constitutional-court-judgment-on-regulation-of-introduction-of-bills-12102012-2012-10-12 IFP: Statement by Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Inkatha Freedom Party Leader, welcomes Constitutional Court judgment on regulation of introduction of bills], 12 October 2012</ref>

==List of prime ministers of South Africa==

;Parties
{{legend|{{party color|South African Party}}|[[South African Party]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|United Party (South Africa)}}|[[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}}|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" width=100px| Portrait
! rowspan="2" width=25%| Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}<br />{{small|Constituency}}
! colspan="3"| Term of office
! rowspan="2"| Elected<br />{{small|(Parliament)}}
! rowspan="2"| Political party
! rowspan="2"| Government
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|South African Party}}; color:white;" rowspan="2"|1
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Louisbotha (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Louis Botha]]<br />{{small|(1862–1919)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Standerton]], [[Transvaal (province)|Transvaal Province]]<br>(until 1915)}}<br />{{small|MP for Losberg, Transvaal Province<br>(from 1915)}}
|31 May 1910
|27 August 1919
|{{Age in years and days|1910|5|31|1919|8|27}}
|[[1910 South African general election|1910]] ({{ordinal|1}})<br />[[1915 South African general election|1915]] ({{ordinal|2}})
|[[South African Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of Louis Botha|L. Botha I]]–[[Second Cabinet of Louis Botha|II]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|First South African Prime Minister. [[South Africa Act 1909|Formation]] of the [[Union of South Africa]]. [[World War I]]. [[South West Africa campaign|Conquest]] of the [[German South West Africa]]. Crushed the [[Maritz rebellion]]. Ratified the [[Treaty of Versailles]]. Died in office.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|South African Party}}; color:white;" rowspan="2"|2
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Genl JC Smuts (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Jan Smuts|Jan Christiaan Smuts]]<br />{{small|(1870–1950)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Wonderboom South, Pretoria|Wonderboom]], Transvaal Province}}
|3 September 1919
|30 June 1924
|{{Age in years and days|1919|9|3|1924|6|30}}
| — ({{ordinal|2}})<br />[[1920 South African general election|1920]] ({{ordinal|3}})<br />[[1921 South African general election|1921]] ({{ordinal|4}})
|[[South African Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of Jan Smuts|Smuts I]]–[[Second Cabinet of Jan Smuts|II]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Attended [[1921 Imperial Conference]]. Attempted to broker an armistice and peace deal between the British and [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalists]] in the [[Irish War of Independence]]. Crushed the [[Rand Rebellion]], which caused a political backlash and he lost [[1924 South African general election|1924 general election]] to National Party. Created coalition with National Party and returned as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice after the [[1933 South African general election|1933 general election]].}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" height=60|
|rowspan="4"|[[File:JBM Hertzog - SA (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="4"|[[J. B. M. Hertzog|James Barry Munnik Hertzog]]<br />{{small|(1866–1942)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Smithfield, Free State|Smithfield]], [[Orange Free State (province)|Orange Free State Province]]}}
|rowspan="2"|30 June 1924
|rowspan="2"|5 September 1939
|rowspan="2"|{{Age in years and days|1924|6|30|1939|9|5}}
|rowspan="2"|[[1924 South African general election|1924]] ({{ordinal|5}})<br />[[1929 South African general election|1929]] ({{ordinal|6}})<br />[[1933 South African general election|1933]] ({{ordinal|7}})<br />[[1938 South African general election|1938]] ({{ordinal|8}})
|rowspan="2"|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] <br />{{small|(until 1934)}}<br />[[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]] <br />{{small|(from 1934)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[First Cabinet of J. B. M. Hertzog|Hertzog I]]–[[Second Cabinet of J. B. M. Hertzog|II]]–[[Third Cabinet of J. B. M. Hertzog|III]]–[[Fourth Cabinet of J. B. M. Hertzog|IV]]
|-
! rowspan="2"|3
|-
| colspan="6" rowspan="2"|{{small|Replaced [[Dutch language|Dutch]] as second official language by [[Afrikaans]] in 1925. Instated a new [[Flag of South Africa#1928–94 flag|national flag]] in 1928. Approved [[women's suffrage]] for white women with the [[Women's Enfranchisement Act, 1930]]. Adoption of the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]]. Removed Black voters from the common voters roll. Created coalition with South African Party to form the United Party. Resigned after the United Party caucus refused to accept his stance of neutrality in [[World War II]].}}
|-
! style="background:{{party color|United Party (South Africa)}}; color:white;" height=60|
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|United Party (South Africa)}}; color:white;" rowspan="2"|{{small|(2)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Genl JC Smuts (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Jan Smuts|Jan Christiaan Smuts]]<br />{{small|(1870–1950)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Standerton]], Transvaal Province}}
|5 September 1939
|4 June 1948
|{{Age in years and days|1939|9|5|1948|6|4}}
| — ({{ordinal|8}})<br />[[1943 South African general election|1943]] ({{ordinal|9}})
|[[United Party (South Africa)|United Party]]
|[[Third Cabinet of Jan Smuts|Smuts III]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|[[World War II]]. Ratified the [[Charter of the United Nations|UN Charter]]. Issued the [[Fagan Commission|Fagan Report]], which stated that complete racial segregation in South Africa was not practical and that restrictions on African migration into urban areas should be abolished. Lost the [[1948 South African general election|1948 general election]] to National Party.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" rowspan="2"|4
|rowspan="2"|[[File:DFMalanPortret (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[D. F. Malan|Daniël François Malan]]<br />{{small|(1874–1959)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Piketberg]], [[Cape Province]]}}
|4 June 1948
|30 November 1954
|{{Age in years and days|1948|6|4|1954|11|30}}
|[[1948 South African general election|1948]] ({{ordinal|10}})<br />[[1953 South African general election|1953]] ({{ordinal|11}})
|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of D. F. Malan|Malan I]]–[[Second Cabinet of D. F. Malan|II]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Came to power on the program of [[apartheid]] and began the comprehensive implementation of the [[Racial segregation|segregationist]] policy.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" rowspan="2"|5
|rowspan="2"|[[File:JG Strijdom (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[J. G. Strijdom|Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom]]<br />{{small|(1893–1958)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Waterberg District Municipality|Waterberg]], Transvaal Province}}
|30 November 1954
|24 August 1958
|{{Age in years and days|1954|11|30|1958|8|24}}
| — ({{ordinal|11}})<br />[[1958 South African general election|1958]] ({{ordinal|12}})
|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]
|[[Cabinet of Hans Strydom|Strydom]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Tried to cut ties with United Kingdom. Removal of [[Coloured]] voters from the common voters roll. Extended 'treason trial' of 156 activists (including [[Nelson Mandela]]) involved in the [[Freedom Charter]]. Severed diplomatic relations with the [[Soviet Union]]. Died in office.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" rowspan="2"|6
|rowspan="2"|[[File:Zuid Afrikaanse premier dr. H. Verwoerd, Bestanddeelnr 911-1297 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Hendrik Verwoerd|Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd]]<br />{{small|(1901–1966)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Heidelberg, Gauteng|Heidelberg]], Transvaal Province}}
|2 September 1958
|6 September 1966
|{{Age in years and days|1958|9|2|1966|9|6}}
| — ({{ordinal|12}})<br />[[1961 South African general election|1961]] ({{ordinal|13}})<br />[[1966 South African general election|1966]] ({{ordinal|14}})
|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of Hendrik Verwoerd|Verwoerd I]]–[[Second Cabinet of Hendrik Verwoerd|II]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Start of the [[South African Border War]]. The [[Wind of Change (speech)|Wind of Change speech]] by [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British PM]] [[Harold Macmillan]]. Proclaimed South Africa a Republic outside the Commonwealth of Nations on 31 May 1961 after the [[1960 South African republic referendum|1960 referendum]]. Abolished the separate Black voters roll. Launched the [[bantustan]] programme. Assassinated.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" rowspan="2"|7
|rowspan="2"|[[File:John Vorster.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[John Vorster|Balthazar Johannes Vorster]]<br />{{small|(1915–1983)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[Nigel, Gauteng|Nigel]], Transvaal Province}}
|13 September 1966
|2 October 1978
|{{Age in years and days|1966|9|13|1978|10|2}}
| — ({{ordinal|14}})<br />[[1970 South African general election|1970]] ({{ordinal|15}})<br />[[1974 South African general election|1974]] ({{ordinal|16}})<br />[[1977 South African general election|1977]] ({{ordinal|17}})
|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of B. J. Vorster|Vorster I]]–[[Second Cabinet of B. J. Vorster|II]]–[[Third Cabinet of B. J. Vorster|III]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Abolished the Coloured voters roll. [[South African Border War]] escalated into a full-scale conflict. He managed policy of détente with African countries, and accepted to let black African diplomats living in white areas. He alienated an extremist faction of his National Party when it accepted the presence of [[Māori people|Māori]] players and spectators during the [[1970 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa]]. He unofficially supported, but refused to recognize officially, the neighbouring state of [[Rhodesia]], which was ruled by a [[White people in Zimbabwe|white minority]] government that had [[Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence|unilaterally declared independence]] from United Kingdom. In 1974, under pressure from US Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]] he pressured [[Ian Smith]], the [[Prime Minister of Rhodesia]], to accept in principle that [[Dominant minority|white minority rule]] could not continue indefinitely. Resigned.}}
|- style="background:#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|National Party (South Africa)}};" rowspan="2"|8
|rowspan="2"|[[File:PW Botha 1962.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[P. W. Botha|Pieter Willem Botha]]<br />{{small|(1916–2006)}}<br />{{small|MP for [[George, Western Cape|George]], Cape Province}}
|9 October 1978
|14 September 1984
|{{Age in years and days|1978|10|9|1984|9|14}}
| — ({{ordinal|17}})<br />[[1981 South African general election|1981]] ([[18th South African Parliament|{{ordinal|18}}]])<br />[[1984 South African general election|1984]] ({{ordinal|19}})
|[[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]]
|[[First Cabinet of P. W. Botha|P. W. Botha]]
|-
| colspan="6"|{{small|Remained [[Minister of Defence and Military Veterans (South Africa)|Minister of Defence]] until 1980. Improved relations with the West. Authorized [[South African Constitution of 1983|radical constitutional reform]] in 1983, including the creation of the [[Tricameral Parliament]], which give a limited political voice to the country's [[Coloured]] and [[Indian South Africans|Indian]] population groups. The majority Black population group was still excluded. Began a [[South Africa and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|secret nuclear weapons program]] in collaboration with [[Israel]], which culminated in the production of six nuclear bombs. Creation of police counter-insurgency unit, [[Koevoet]]. Resignation of Vorster as State President in the wake of the [[Muldergate Scandal]]. Abolished the position of Prime Minister in 1984 and became executive State President.}}
|}

==Timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
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Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

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  id:np  value:rgb(0.97,0.58,0.11) legend:National_Party
  id:up  value:rgb(0,0.39,1)       legend:United_Party

  id:gray1 value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2 value:gray(0.95)

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  width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:LBotha
  from: 31/05/1910 till: 27/08/1919 color:sap text:"[[Louis Botha]]"
 bar:Smuts
  from: 03/09/1919 till: 30/06/1924 color:sap
  from: 05/09/1939 till: 04/06/1948 color:up  text:"[[Jan Smuts]]"
 bar:Hertzog
  from: 30/06/1924 till: 01/01/1934 color:np
  from: 01/01/1934 till: 05/09/1939 color:up  text:"[[J. B. M. Hertzog]]"
 bar:Malan
  from: 04/06/1948 till: 30/11/1954 color:np  text:"[[D. F. Malan]]"
 bar:Strijdom
  from: 30/11/1954 till: 24/08/1958 color:np  text:"[[J. G. Strijdom]]"
 bar:Verwoerd
  from: 02/09/1958 till: 06/09/1966 color:np  text:"[[Hendrik Verwoerd]]"
 bar:Vorster
  from: 13/09/1966 till: 02/10/1978 color:np  text:"[[John Vorster]]"
 bar:PWBotha
  from: 09/10/1978 till: 14/09/1984 color:np  text:"[[P. W. Botha]]"

}}

==See also==

* [[State President of South Africa]]
* [[President of South Africa]]
* [[Governor-General of South Africa]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

{{SAPremiers}}
{{Heads of government of African states}}
{{Prime Minister}}

[[Category:Prime ministers of South Africa| ]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:1984 disestablishments in South Africa]]
[[Category:Lists of prime ministers by country|South Africa, Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:Government of South Africa]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in South Africa]]
[[Category:South Africa and the Commonwealth of Nations]]