The 1988 Currie Cup Division A (known as the Santam Bank Currie Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the top division of the Currie Cup competition, the premier domestic rugby union competition in South Africa.
The final was then played at the home venue of the higher-placed team.
The bottom team on the log qualified for the relegation play-offs.
As champions of Division B, Northern Free State qualified to the semi-finals of the Currie Cup competition, where they met Division A runners-up Western Province.
Free State were initially relegated, but Division A was expanded to 8 teams and they retained their place.