Freemasonry was brought to South Africa by members of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in 1772. Today there are lodges chartered under the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodge of South Africa, as well as Le Droit Humain.

Early colonial period

On 24 April 1772, Abraham van der Weijden, Deputy Grandmaster Abroad under the Grand Orient of the Netherlands, arrived in the Cape of Good Hope. He issued a warrant allowing for the founding of a lodge, "De Goede Hoop", ten days after arriving, which was ratified by the Grand Orient on 1 September 1772.Mackey, Albert. Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences. Jazzybee Verlag, 2013. The founding members of Lodge de Goede Hoop were Abraham Chiron, Jacobus le Febre, Johann Gie, Pieter Soermans, Christoffel Brand, Jan van Schoor, Olof de Wet, and Petrus de Wit.

While in 1774 the first two native-born candidates were initiated into freemasonry, the lodge failed to gain a foothold among the local population, and was dependent on visitors, which led to the Lodge becoming dormant in 1781 until it was revived in 1794, when more local residents were attracted to the fraternity, such as J. A. Truter, who was Chief Justice.

In 1795, the British occupied the Cape, bringing with them military Lodges, but no new lodges were established in Cape colony during this time.

British rule

Another lodge was formed in 1800 by the Dutch called "De Goede Trouw" Lodge, and in 1802 Jacob de Mist arrived from the Netherlands and was installed as the first Deputy Grand Master National in South Africa.

The Napoleonic Wars brought a second British invasion of South Africa. With the beginning of British rule over the region, Dutch lodges saw an increase in members of English origin. Tensions arose between the British masons and their Dutch speaking counterparts, leading the English masons to form their own lodge in the Cape under the Moderns' Grand Lodge of England in 1811, "British" Lodge. The Antients established a rival lodge, "Cape of Good Hope", the following year in 1812.

The British and Dutch freemasons started to work together and became one. The advocate CJ Brand (He was a grandson of one of the founders of freemasonry in South Africa), the first Mayor of Cape Town, M. van Breda and the Master of the Supreme Court, J.H. Hofmeyer, were some of the prominent Grand Masters through the early years. C.C. Silberbauer was Grand Master in the times when the organization in South Africa, had financial problems. T.N. Cranstoun-Day (from the British side) was adamant that lodge stayed pure English. Cranstown-Day could not speak Afrikaans.Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch,Title -The effects of political, economic and social events on the order of Freemasons in South Africa, with some reference to the movement for the formation of a united Grand Lodge 1772-1961, page324, Author - Cooper, A.A., Publisher - University of Stellenbosch, Date - 1983

Grand Lodge of South Africa

It was formed independently from the Netherlands and the UK. Under Colonel C.G. Botha it was established on 22 April 1961. Botha was named Grand Master. The motto of the Southern Africa Grand Lodge is: "Deo et Collegio". It is Latin for "God and Order" In November 1977, the Lodge admitted non-white members for the first time, as the South African Freemasons, previously were exclusively a white organization.

The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women Le Droit Humain South African Federation Le Droit Humain first lodge in South Africa was founded in 1914 in Durban. South African Lodges were administered by the British Federation of the order until 1995 when the South Africa Federation was founded.

Grand Masters Year term started Year term endedSurnameName(s)Date of birth Date of death Reference18041813de MistJacobus Abraham Uitenhage20 April 17473 August 182318131831NeethlingJohannes Henoch1 August 17704 June 183818311837van BredaMichiel12 August 177512 August 184718371874 BrandChristoffel Joseph24 June 179719 May 187518741893 HofmeyrJan Hendrik19 December 181825 April 189318931897FaureDavid Pieter11 November 184217 August 191618971903LewisCharles Edwardes5 December 185513 January 194519031944SilberbauerConrad Christian23 September 186321 July 194419441957RoseJohn George11 January 187618 February 197319571966 BothaColin Graham15 August 18831 February 197319661973ConradieEddie19731983GassonSydney Richard16 December 192720 March 201319831991GroenewaldCornelius Botha24 June 192230 May 200919911997BauserReunert Sidney25 December 192828 December 201719972003LindequeBarend Gerhardus5 November 194010 April 201520032008BowenJohn Thomas7 November 193526 November 201320082014WatsonArmiston26 November 194412 October 201420142017EdwardsGeoffrey Robert194520172020DuncanDavid James30 September 194420202023SmithJohn Ewald Henry14 November 19552023presentPlaceGodfrey Stuart25 June 1957

Note: Until 1961 the Grand Masters were called Deputy Grand Masters, because it was either part of the Netherlands Lodge. There was close cooperation with Thomas Nathaniel Cranstoun-Day from the British Freemasons during the years up to 1961.

Notable South African Freemasons P.J. Blignaut - Government Secretary of the Orange Free StateMuller, H. P.N. ,Title(Dutch) -Oude tyden in den Oranje-Vrystaat. Naar Mnr. H.A.L. Hamelberg's nagelaten papieren beschreven (Translated:Past times in the Orange Free State. Documents left after Mr.H.A.L. Hamelberg death). J.H. Brand - 4th State President of the Orange Free State L. Botha - 1st Prime Minister of South Africa T.F. Burgers - 4th President of the South African Republic P.A. Cronje - South African General P.J. Joubert - South African General J.C. Laas - Organizer of the Ossewabrandwag C.J. Langenhoven - South African poetCooper, A. A. 1986. The Freemasons of South Africa. p178. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau J.P. Marais - Founder and maker of Klipdrift Brandy G.L.P. Moerdijk - Afrikaans architect, best known for the Voortrekker Monument H.F. Oppenheimer - South African businessman M.W. Pretorius - First president of the South African Republic G.S. Preller - South African journalist F.W. Reitz - 5th State President of the Orange Free State T.J.deV. Roos - South African politician W.P. Steenkamp - Clergyman that erected churches in Namakwaland D.J.S. Theron - Boer Army military leader J.H. de Villiers - First Chief Justice of the Union of South Africa A.G. Visser - Afrikaans poet

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