| Country: | South Africa |
| Flag Year: | 1912 |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1910 South African general election |
| Previous Year: | 1910 |
| Election Date: | 20 October 1915 |
| Next Election: | 1920 South African general election |
| Next Year: | 1920 |
| Seats For Election: | All 130 seats in the House of Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 66 |
| Registered: | 365,307 |
| Turnout: | 71.57% |
| Image1: | Louisbotha.jpg |
| Leader1: | Louis Botha |
| Party1: | South African Party |
| Last Election1: | 28.45%, 66 seats |
| Seats1: | 54 |
| Seat Change1: | 12 |
| Popular Vote1: | 94,285 |
| Percentage1: | 36.67% |
| Swing1: | 8.22pp |
| Leader2: | Thomas Smartt |
| Party2: | Unionist Party (South Africa) |
| Last Election2: | 37.65%, 36 seats |
| Seats2: | 39 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 49,917 |
| Percentage2: | 19.41% |
| Swing2: | 18.24pp |
| Image4: | JBM Hertzog - SA (cropped).jpg |
| Leader4: | J. B. M. Hertzog |
| Party4: | National Party (South Africa) |
| Last Election4: | Did not exist |
| Seats4: | 27 |
| Seat Change4: | New party |
| Popular Vote4: | 75,623 |
| Percentage4: | 29.41% |
| Swing4: | New party |
| Leader5: | Frederic Creswell |
| Party5: | Labour Party (South Africa) |
| Last Election5: | 10.93%, 3 seats |
| Seats5: | 4 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 24,755 |
| Percentage5: | 9.63% |
| Swing5: | 1.30pp |
| Prime Minister | |
| Before Election: | Louis Botha |
| Before Party: | South African Party |
| After Election: | Louis Botha |
| After Party: | South African Party |
General elections were held in South Africa on 20 October 1915 to elect the 130 members of the House of Assembly. This was the second Union Parliament. The governing South African Party (SAP) of General Louis Botha emerged from the elections as the largest party, but did not receive an overall majority.
Botha formed a minority government, which survived with some parliamentary support from the official opposition Unionist Party.[1]
The South Africa Act 1909 had provided for a delimitation commission to define the boundaries for each electoral division. The representation by province, under the second delimitation report of 1913, is set out in the table below. The figures in brackets are the number of electoral divisions in the previous (1910) delimitation. If there is no figure in brackets then the number was unchanged.[2]
Since the last general election, the National Party (NP) had split away from the South African Party (SAP). The formal foundation of the new party had been in 1914.
Eight of the 130 seats were uncontested. There were unopposed returns for 5 Unionist Party, 2 SAP and 1 NP candidates.
In the 122 contested constituencies, the candidates nominated included 86 SAP, 83 NP, 39 Unionist and 49 Labour.[3]
General Botha stood for a policy of conciliation between Afrikaans and English speaking white people. The SAP was mostly supported by moderates of both races. General Hertzog led a republican party which supported a two streams policy – the two white races developing separately. The Unionists were anxious to maintain the imperial connection. The Unionists accordingly preferred the continuation in power of the SAP to the prospect of an NP government.[4]
The vote totals in the table below may not give a complete picture of the balance of political opinion, because of unopposed elections (where no votes were cast) and because most contested seats were not fought by a candidate from all major parties.
The 27 NP candidates elected represented three of the four provinces - 7 from Cape Province, 16 from the Orange Free State and 4 from Transvaal.[5]