The following lists events that happened during 2009 in South Africa.

• President:
  • Kgalema Motlanthe (until 8 May).^[1]
  • Jacob Zuma (from 9 May).^[1]
• Deputy President: Baleka Mbete (until 9 May), Kgalema Motlanthe (starting 9 May).
• Chief Justice: Pius Langa then Sandile Ngcobo.

January

• 8 – The 97th Anniversary of the ANC is celebrated.

February

• 4 – Jacob Zuma appears in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.^[2]
• 4 – Jimmy Mohlala, Mbombela Local Council Municipality speaker who had been asked to resign by the ANC following a whistle-blower act which saw Municipal manager Jacob Dladla suspended, is shot dead in his Nelspruit home. His 19-year-old son is wounded in the attack.^[3][4][5][6]
• 11 – Trevor Manuel presents the 2009–2010 budget.^[7]
• 11 – For the first time in South Africa, court proceedings in a trial are conducted entirely in isiZulu in the municipality of Msinga. The proceedings are part of a pilot project to offer "access to justice for all".^[8]

March

• 3 – South African holidaymakers need visas to enter the United Kingdom.^[9]
• 3 – Convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik is released from prison on medical parole.^[10]
• 4 – The 14th Dalai Lama's visa application to enter South Africa is refused.
• 12 – The Constitutional Court rules that registered voters living overseas can vote for the National Assembly in the 22 April elections.^[11]

April

• 7 – All charges against Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thint over the South African arms deal are officially withdrawn in the Durban High Court.^[12]
• 22 – The 2009 national and provincial elections are held.
• 25 – The Independent Electoral Commission publishes the elections results. The ANC won 65.9% of the vote, The DA won 16.66%.^[13]

May

• 6 – Jacob Zuma is elected president in the South African presidential election.

June

14 to 28 – The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup takes place in South Africa and is won by Brazil, with the United States as the runner-up.

July

• 18 – The first Mandela Day is organised on Nelson Mandela's 91st Birthday.^[14]
• 19 – Gill Marcus is appointed Governor of the South African Reserve Bank by Jacob Zuma, to replace Tito Mboweni on 9 November.

September

• 22 – President Jacob Zuma meets with the Paramount leader of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao in New York.
• 22–24 – The United States Embassy and other US government facilities in South Africa are closed because of unspecified security concerns.^[15]
• 24 – Airlink Flight 8911 crashes shortly after take-off, killing one and injuring three.^[16]

December

• 8 – Serial killer, serial rapist and criminal Ananias Mathe is sentenced to an effective 54 years in prison for various crimes.^[17]
• 12 – The Miss World 2009 pageant takes place Johannesburg.
• 13 – The Miss South Africa 2009 pageant takes place at Sun City.

• 1 January – Helen Suzman, activist and politician. (b. 1917)
• 11 January – Ludumo Galada, boxer. (b. 1982)
• 6 April – Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician. (b. 1937)
• 13 October – Winston Mankunku Ngozi, musician. (b. 1943)^[18]
• 3 December – Curtis Nkondo, activist, educator, politician and ambassador. (b. 1928)^[19]
• 16 December – Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician. (b. 1940)^[20]
• 31 December – Masego Kgomo, murder victim. (b. c. 1999)

• 2009 in South African television