This is a list of the heads of state of South Africa from the foundation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 to the present day.

From 1910 to 1961 the head of state under the South Africa Act 1909 was the Monarch, who was the same person as the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Dominions/Commonwealth realms. The Monarch was represented in South Africa by a Governor-General. South Africa became a republic under the Constitution of 1961 and the Monarch and Governor-General were replaced by a ceremonial State President. In 1984, under the Tricameral Constitution, the State President gained executive powers, becoming head of both state and government. Since 1994, under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution, the head of state and government has been called the President.

The succession to the throne of South Africa was the same as the succession to the British throne. During the Abdication Crisis the South African parliament passed its own act, "His Majesty King Edward the Eighth's Abdication Act, 1937", to ratify the abdication of Edward VIII.

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No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Reign			Royal House	Prime Minister
			Reign start	Reign end	Duration
1		King George V (1865–1936)	31 May 1910	20 January 1936	25 years, 234 days	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (until 17 July 1917) Windsor (since 17 July 1917)	Botha Smuts Hertzog
2		King Edward VIII (1894–1972)	20 January 1936	11 December 1936 (abdicated.)	326 days	Windsor	Hertzog
3		King George VI (1895–1952)	11 December 1936	6 February 1952	15 years, 57 days	Windsor	Hertzog Smuts Malan
4		Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)	6 February 1952	31 May 1961	9 years, 114 days	Windsor	Malan Strijdom Verwoerd

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Governor-General

The Governor-General was the representative of the monarch in South Africa and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch. After the passage of the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the Status of the Union Act, 1934, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of South Africa without the involvement of the British government. In the event of a vacancy the Chief Justice served as Officer Administering the Government.

Status

  Denotes Chief Justice acting as Officer Administering the Government

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No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Monarch	Prime Minister
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Gladstone (1854–1930)	31 May 1910	8 September 1914	4 years, 100 days	George V	Botha
2		The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Buxton (1853–1934)	8 September 1914	17 November 1920	6 years, 70 days	George V	Botha Smuts
3		HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938)	17 November 1920	21 January 1924	3 years, 65 days	George V	Smuts
4		The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Athlone (1874–1957)	21 January 1924	26 January 1931	7 years, 5 days	George V	Smuts Hertzog
5		The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955)	26 January 1931	5 April 1937	6 years, 69 days	George V Edward VIII George VI	Hertzog
6		Sir Patrick Duncan (1870–1943)	5 April 1937	17 July 1943 (died in office.)	6 years, 103 days	George VI	Hertzog Smuts
—		Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet (1873–1960)	17 July 1943	1 January 1946	2 years, 168 days	George VI	Smuts
7		Gideon Brand van Zyl (1873–1956)	1 January 1946	1 January 1951	5 years	George VI	Smuts Malan
8		Ernest George Jansen (1881–1959)	1 January 1951	25 November 1959 (died in office.)	8 years, 328 days	George VI Elizabeth II	Malan Strijdom Verwoerd
—		Lucas Cornelius Steyn (1903–1976)	25 November 1959	11 December 1959	16 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd
9		Charles Robberts Swart (1894–1982)	11 December 1959	30 April 1961 (resigned.)	1 year, 140 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd
—		Lucas Cornelius Steyn (1903–1976)	30 April 1961	31 May 1961	31 days	Elizabeth II	Verwoerd

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Under the 1961 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the State President replaced the Monarch as ceremonial head of state. The State President was elected by Parliament for a seven-year term. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Senate served as Acting State President.

Status

Under the 1983 Constitution the State President was head of both state and government. The State President was elected by an electoral college chosen by Parliament and served until the next general election, but was eligible for re-election. In the event of a vacancy the Cabinet would nominate a member to serve as Acting State President.

Status

Under the Interim Constitution and the current Constitution the president of South Africa is head of both state and government. The president is elected by the National Assembly and serves a term that expires at the next general election; a president may serve a maximum of two terms. In the event of a vacancy the deputy president serves as acting president.

• Governor-General's Standard (1910–1931)
• Governor-General's Standard (1931–1952)
• Governor-General's Standard (1952–1961)
• State Presidential Standard (1961–1984)
• State Presidential Standard (1984–1994)