The 1989 Santam Bank Trophy was the third tier of domestic South African rugby, below the two Currie Cup divisions.
There were nine participating teams in the Santam Bank Trophy Division A.
Teams played each other once over the course of the season, either at home or away.
The top two teams in the division qualified for the title play-off finals.
The final standings after the pool stage of the Santam Bank Trophy was as follows:[2]