Inter-provincial aquatic sports in South Africa - swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming - in South Africa were managed on a provincial basis, by the national governing body known as the South African Amateur Swimming Union (SAASU) since 1899.

Western Province ASA and Eastern Province ASA were the only affiliated Provinces of the SAASU at the first national water polo championship event held at Port Elizabeth in 1900.

After the Boer War ended in 1902, more provinces joined SAASU, until twelve provinces were competing at the 1980 South African Aquatic Championships held in Cape Town. That year, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, and it no longer affiliated with the SAASU. South West Africa left in 1990 when it became Namibia, and by 1995, the new government of South Africa had scrapped the old provinces in the country. 

Later provincial associations were the Orange River Colony (ORC), Transvaal, which later split into Northern and Southern Transvaal, with Eastern and Western Transvaal emerging later. Natal ASA joined in 1905. Mossel Bay and East London initially sent teams to the championships, until they later became part of Eastern Province and Border ASA, respectively. The northern Cape city of Kimberley became the home of the Griqualand West province. The Vaal Triangle province was created in the 1970s. 

After the demise of the provincial system, the various aquatic sports disciplines no longer combine their national championships, and the competition is now a club-based event. The South African government sets policy and finances sports governance, and the new governing body for aquatic sports is Swimming South Africa. Following government policy, there are now (2025) nine regional governing bodies, just like the old provinces!

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  Eastern Province

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  Western Province

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  Natal

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  Transvaal

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  Northern Transvaal

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  Eastern Transvaal

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  Western Transvaal

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  Orange Free State

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  Griqualand West

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  Rhodesia

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  Border

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  South West Africa

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  Vaal Triangle