| Country: | South Africa |
| Flag Year: | 1928 |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1974 South African general election |
| Previous Year: | 1974 |
| Election Date: | 30 November 1977 |
| Next Election: | 1981 South African general election |
| Next Year: | 1981 |
| Seats For Election: | 164 of the 165 seats in the House of Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 83 |
| Registered: | 2,193,635 |
| Turnout: | 48.52% (3.35pp) |
| Image1: | John Vorster.jpg |
| Leader1: | B. J. Vorster |
| Party1: | National Party (South Africa) |
| Last Election1: | 56.14%, 122 seats |
| Seats1: | 134 |
| Seat Change1: | 12 |
| Popular Vote1: | 685,035 |
| Percentage1: | 65.34% |
| Swing1: | 9.20pp |
| Leader2: | Colin Eglin |
| Party2: | Progressive Federal Party |
| Last Election2: | 6.37%, 6 seats |
| Seats2: | 17 |
| Seat Change2: | 11 |
| Popular Vote2: | 177,705 |
| Percentage2: | 16.95% |
| Swing2: | 10.58pp |
| Leader3: | Radclyffe Cadman |
| Party3: | New Republic Party (South Africa) |
| Seats3: | 10 |
| Seat Change3: | 31 |
| Popular Vote3: | 127,335 |
| Percentage3: | 12.15% |
| Swing3: | 20.69pp |
| Prime Minister | |
| Before Election: | B. J. Vorster |
| Before Party: | National Party (South Africa) |
| After Election: | B. J. Vorster |
| After Party: | National Party (South Africa) |
General elections were held in South Africa on 30 November 1977. The National Party, led by B. J. Vorster won a landslide victory in the House of Assembly. The newly formed Progressive Federal Party, led by Colin Eglin became the official opposition. The New Republic Party, successor to the United Party, won only 10 seats,[1] all but one of them in Natal Province. Once again, the Herstigte Nasionale Party failed to win any seats.
In the 1977 elections, the National Party received its best-ever result with support of 65% of the vote and (after a by-election) 135 seats in parliament out of 165. However, Vorster resigned as prime minister for alleged health reasons on 28 September 1978.
The members of the House of Assembly were elected in single-member constituencies via first-past-the-post voting. The Senate consisted of 51 members: 43 elected by the electoral colleges of the country's four provinces (16 for the Transvaal, 11 for the Cape Province, and 8 each for the Orange Free State and Natal) and 8 appointed by the State President (2 for each province). Only White South Africans were eligible to vote.
On 11 February 1975 four liberal MPs led by Harry Schwarz broke away from the United Party and created the Reform Party. The party merged with the Progressive Party on 25 July 1975 to form the Progressive Reform Party. In 1977 another group of United Party members left the party to form the Committee for a United Opposition, which then joined the Progressive Reform Party to form the Progressive Federal Party. This proved to realign the opposition in Parliament, as the PFP became the official opposition party.
Due to the death of the National Party candidate in the Springs constituency, one seat was left vacant until a by-election was held, which was won by the NP.