The following lists events that happened during 1972 in South Africa.

• State President: Jim Fouché.^[1]
• Prime Minister: John Vorster.
• Chief Justice: Newton Ogilvie Thompson.

May

• 3 – Abram Onkgopotse Tiro is expelled from the University of the North and students protest the expulsion.
• 4 – South Africa and Lesotho decide to establish reciprocal consular representation.

August

• 12 – Oil tankers Oswego-Guardian and Texanita collide near Stilbaai.

October

• 1 – 1 Reconnaissance Commando is established at Oudtshoorn.

Unknown date

• A South African Special Forces team carry out a submarine-borne raid on the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam using the SAS Emily Hobhouse, a Daphne class submarine.
• The South African Police deploys to South West Africa.
• Conscription for all white males is extended from 9 to 12 months, followed by a 19-day annual call-up for five years.
• Operation Plathond, a joint South African Defence Force and South African Bureau of State Security operation, is launched to train dissident Zambians in the Caprivi Strip, South West Africa.

• 2 February – Hendrick Ramaala, long-distance runner.
• 4 February – Sthandiwe Kgoroge, actress.
• 21 February – Mark Andrews (rugby player), rugby player.
• 12 March – Arno Carstens, singer-songwriter, lead singer of Springbok Nude Girls.
• 22 March – Baby Cele, actress.
• 26 March – Willem Jackson, football player
• 3 April – Alfred Ntombela, actor.
• 21 June – Irene van Dyk, South African and New Zealand netball player.
• 23 June – Slindile Nodangala, actress.
• 15 July – Sophie Ndaba, actress.
• 16 August – James Dalton (rugby player), rugby player.
• 25 August – Elmarie Gerryts, pole vaulter.
• 8 September – Os du Randt, Springboks rugby player.
• 16 October – Jacques Nienaber, Springboks coach.
• 28 October – David James, actor.
• 31 October – Shaun Bartlett, former soccer player & coach.
• 14 November – Florence Masebe, actress.
• 7 December – Sean Dundee, football player.
• 16 December – Kuli Roberts, journalist, TV presenter, author
• 23 December – Somizi Mhlongo, choreographer, actor and radio personality.
• 26 December – Colleen Piketh, lawn bowler^[2]

• 14 May – Lawrence G. Green, journalist and author. (b. 1900)

• 11 August – Max Theiler, South African-American virologist and physician and Nobel Prize laureate. (b. 1899)

• 2 December – Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, head of the South African Air Force (b. 1891)