General elections were held in South Africa on 17 May 1933 to elect the 150 members of the House of Assembly.^[1] The National Party won half the seats in the House, but the coalition with the South African Party continued.

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Quick Facts All 150 seats in the House of Assembly 76 seats needed for a majority, Registered ...

1933 South African general election

← 1929 17 May 1933 1938 →
All 150 seats in the House of Assembly 76 seats needed for a majority
Registered	957,636
Turnout	33.77% ( 41.57pp)
First party Second party   Leader J. B. M. Hertzog Jan Smuts Party National South African Last election 41.17%, 78 seats 46.50%, 61 seats Seats won 75 61 Seat change 3 Popular vote 101,159 71,486 Percentage 31.61% 22.34% Swing 9.55pp 24.17pp   Third party Fourth party   Leader Tielman Roos Walter Madeley Party Roos Labour Last election Did not exist 9.86%, 8 seats Seats won 2 2 Seat change New party 6 Popular vote 27,441 20,276 Percentage 8.58% 6.34% Swing New party 3.52pp
Results by province
Prime Minister before election J. B. M. Hertzog National Elected Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog National

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Since the 1929 election several changes had been made to the franchise laws. Adult white women were enfranchised in 1930. In 1931 all European males over the age of 21 were enfranchised (eliminating property and wage qualifications for that section of the population).^[2]

One effect of these changes, which were not extended to the non-white population of the Union, was to dilute the influence of the non-white electors in Cape Province and Natal.

The South Africa Act 1909 had provided for a delimitation commission to define the boundaries for each electoral division. The representation by province, under the sixth delimitation report of 1932, is set out in the table below. The figures in brackets are the number of electoral divisions in the previous (1928) delimitation. If there is no figure in brackets then the number was unchanged.^[3]

The vote totals in the table below may not give a complete picture of the balance of political opinion, because of unopposed elections (where no votes were cast) and because contested seats may not have been fought by a candidate from all major parties.

As the two largest parties were in coalition together, the opposition to the government was weaker and more fragmented than in any other election in South African history.

An alternative breakdown of members, distinguishing between supporters and opponents of the coalition, was (pro Coalition) NP 75, SAP 61, Creswell Labour 2, Roos 2; (opposition) National Council Labour 2, Natal Home Ruler 2, Independents 6.^[5] Another interpretation, is NP 75, SAP 61, Labour 4, Roos Party 2, Home Rule group 2 and Independents 6.^[6]