It was the fifth season of the tour under a title sponsorship agreement with First National Bank, that began in 1992.

[1] The South African Open became co-sanctioned with the European Tour for the first time, benefitting from an increased purse and world ranking points.

[2] The following table lists official events during the 1996–97 season.

[3] The following events were sanctioned by the Southern Africa Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.

The Order of Merit was based on prize money won during the season, calculated in South African rand.