Swimming World records set by South Africans
World and Olympic Records
World records and Olympic records set by South African swimmers. Karen Muir set 18 World records between 1965 and 1969, and Penny Heyns set 14. Roland Schoeman and Cameron van der Burgh both set 9 world records.
At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the South African men's team set a new world record in winning the 4x100 freestyle relay.
Olympic Records
| Date | Time | Event | Swimmer | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 1960 | 1:12,0 | 100m backstroke | Laura Ranwell | Rome |
| July 23, 1996 | 2:26,63 | 200m breaststroke | Penny Heyns | Atlanta |
| July 23, 1996 | 2:25,40 | 200m breaststroke | Penny Heyns | Atlanta |
| July 28, 2012 | 58,83 | 100m breaststroke | Cameron van der Burgh | London |
| July 25, 2021 | 1:04,82 | 100m breaststroke | Tatjana Schoenmaker | Tokyo |
World Records
| Date | Time | Event | Swimmer | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 1960 | 1:11,1 | 110yds backstroke | Natalie Steward (UK) | Blackpool |
| September 24, 1960 | 1:11,0 | 110yds backstroke | Natalie Steward (UK) | Blackpool |
| August 10, 1965 | 1:08,7 | 110yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Blackpool |
| February 21, 1966 | 1:08,6 | 110yds backstroke | Ann Fairlie | Kimberley |
| February 26, 1966 | 1:08,3 | 110yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Durban |
| March 1, 1966 | 1:08,0 | 110yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Durban |
| July 23, 1966 | 01:07.4 | 100m backstroke | Ann Fairlie | Béziers |
| July 25, 1966 | 02:27.1 | 200m backstroke | Karen Muir | Béziers |
| August 18, 1966 | 02:26.4 | 200m backstroke | Karen Muir | Lincoln |
| August 25, 1966 | 2:28,2 | 220yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Vancouver |
| August 26, 1966 | 1:07,9 | 110yds backstroke | Ann Fairlie | Vancouver |
| August 28, 1966 | 2:32,0 | 220yds individual medley | Karen Muir | Vancouver |
| January 28, 1967 | 2:27,7 | 220yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Pretoria |
| July 22, 1967 | 1:07,5 | 110yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Coventry |
| January 26, 1968 | 2:24,1 | 220yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| January 26, 1968 | 2:24,1 | 200m backstroke | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| January 30, 1968 | 01:06.7 | 110yds backstroke | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| January 30, 1968 | 01:06.7 | 100m backstroke | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| January 21, 1968 | 05:21,2 | 440yds medley | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| March 1, 1969 | 05:20,2 | 440yds medley | Karen Muir | Cape Town |
| April 6, 1968 | 01:06.4 | 100m backstroke | Karen Muir | Paris |
| January 6, 1968 | 02:24.1 | 200m backstroke | Karen Muir | Kimberley |
| July 21, 1968 | 02:23.8 | 200m backstroke | Karen Muir | Los Angeles |
| July 6, 1969 | 01:05.6 | 100m backstroke | Karen Muir | Utrecht |
| August 14, 1976 | 49.44 | 100m freestyle | Jonty Skinner | Philadelphia |
| August 14, 1976 | 23.86 | 50m freestyle (100 split) | Jonty Skinner | Philadelphia |
| April 10, 1988 | 22.18 | 100m freestyle | Peter Williams | Indianapolis |
| March 4, 1996 | 01:07.5 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Durban |
| September 26, 1999 | 30.60 | 50m breaststroke SC | Penelope Heyns | Durban |
| September 5, 1999 | 1:05,57 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Johannesburg |
| September 26, 1999 | 1:05,40 | 100m breaststroke SC | Penelope Heyns | Durban |
| August 1, 1998 | 30.95 | 50m breaststroke (100 split) | Penelope Heyns | New York |
| August 29, 1999 | 30.83 | 50m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Sydney |
| July 21, 1996 | 01:07.0 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Atlanta |
| July 18, 1999 | 01:07.0 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Los Angeles |
| July 18, 1999 | 01:06.9 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Los Angeles |
| August 23, 1999 | 01:06.5 | 100m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Sydney, Australia |
| July 17, 1999 | 02:24.7 | 200m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Los Angeles |
| July 17, 1999 | 02:24.5 | 200m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Los Angeles |
| August 26, 1999 | 02:24.4 | 200m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Sydney |
| August 27, 1999 | 02:23.6 | 200m breaststroke | Penelope Heyns | Sydney |
| March 23, 2000 | 21.31 | 50m freestyle SC | Roland Schoeman | Minneapolis |
| August 12, 2006 | 20.98 | 50m freestyle SC | Roland Schoeman | Hamburg |
| September 7, 2008 | 20.64 | 50m freestyle SC | Roland Schoeman | Germiston |
| August 8, 2009 | 20.30 | 50m freestyle SC | Roland Schoeman | Pietermaritzburg |
| January 22, 2005 | 46.25 | 100m freestyle SC | Roland Schoeman | Berlin |
| August 15, 2004 | 03:13.2 | 4 x 100 m freestyle relay | Athens | |
| 48.17 | Roland Schoeman | |||
| 48.13 | Lyndon Ferns | |||
| 48.96 | Darian Townsend | |||
| 47.91 | Ryk Neethling | |||
| January 18, 2005 | 52.51 | 100m IM SC | Roland Schoeman | Stockholm |
| January 22, 2005 | 52.11 | 100m IM SC | Ryk Neethling | Berlin |
| January 26, 2005 | 52.01 | 100m IM SC | Ryk Neethling | Moscow |
| February 11, 2005 | 51.52 | 100m IM SC | Ryk Neethling | East Meadow, NY |
| November 15, 2009 | 1:51,55 | 200m IM SC | Darian Townsend | Berlin |
| November 22, 2009 | 4:22,80 | 400 IM SC | Kathryn Meaklim | Singapore |
| July 24, 2005 | 23.01 | 50m butterfly | Roland Schoeman | Montreal |
| July 25, 2005 | 22.96 | 50m butterfly | Roland Schoeman | Montreal |
| November 8, 2008 | 26.08 | 50m breststroke SC | Cameron van der Burgh | Moscow |
| November 11, 2008 | 25.94 | 50m breststroke SC | Cameron van der Burgh | Stockholm |
| April 18, 2009 | 27.06 | 50m breaststroke | Cameron van der Burgh | Durban |
| July 28, 2009 | 26.74 | 50m breaststroke | Cameron van der Burgh | Rome |
| July 29, 2009 | 26.67 | 50m breaststroke | Cameron van der Burgh | Rome |
| August 8, 2009 | 25.43 | 50m breaststroke SC | Cameron van der Burgh | Pietermaritzburg |
| August 9, 2009 | 55.99 | 100m breststroke SC | Cameron van der Burgh | Pietermaritzburg |
| November 15, 2009 | 55.61 | 100m breastsroke | Cameron van der Burgh | Berlin |
| July 29, 2012 | 58,46 | 100m breaststroke | Cameron van der Burgh | London |
| November 7, 2009 | 1:47.08 | 200m backstroke | George du Randt | Moscow |
| December 4, 2014 | 48.44 | 100m butterfly SC | Chad le Clos | Doha |
| December 8, 2016 | 48.04 | 100m butterfly SC | Chad le Clos | Windsor, Canada |
| August 7, 2013 | 1:49,04 | 200m butterfly SC | Chad le Clos | Eindhoven |
| November 5, 2013 | 1:48,56 | 200m butterfly SC | Chad le Clos | Singapore |
| July 21, 2021 | 2:18,95 | 200m breaststroke | Tatjana Schoenmaker | Tokyo |