The women's side of the competition was only briefly part of Virginia Slims tour (1970–74) before it returned to the independent circuit.
It was mainly held in Johannesburg in South Africa, but played in other locations such as Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Kimberly and Pretoria.
After the formation of the South African Lawn Tennis Union in 1903 the location of the tournament circulated between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Kimberly and Pretoria.
[3] The most successful male player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Eric Sturgess, who won eleven titles between 1939 and 1957 and lost a further final in 1947 to Eustace Fannin.
Five players share the record for the most male wins at the tournament in the Open Era – Rod Laver (1969, 1970), Jimmy Connors (1973, 1974), Harold Solomon (1975, 1976), Vitas Gerulaitis (1981, 1982) and Aaron Krickstein (1992, 1993).
The most successful female player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Mrs H.A.