See also: 1955 in South Africa, other events of 1956, 1957 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history.

Events

March

• 16 March - The Riotous Assemblies Act no 17 which prohibits any outside gathering that the Minister of Justice sees as a threat to public peace, is passed.

• 17 March - Mimi Coertse mades her Vienna State Opera debut as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (Mozart)

August

• 9 August - Women march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest to the pass laws

December

• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi becomes the first woman ever to be elected to the African National Congress' national executive committee
• 5 December - 156 leading activists are arrested heralding the start of the Treason Trial Amoung Those arrested is Lillian Masediba Ngoyi
• 19 December - The Four year long Treason Trial begins at the Drill Hall in Johannesburg

Unknown date

• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi is elected president of the Federation of South African Women
• Segregation is introduced on buses

Births

• January - Trevor Manuel, Minister of Finance from 1996, born in Cape Town

Deaths