| AAC | All African Convention |
| AEU | Amalgamated Engineering Union |
| AFL | Anti-Fascist League |
| AFTU | African Federation of Trade Unions |
| ALC | African Labour Congress |
| AMWU | African Mine Workers' Union |
| ANC | African National Congress |
| APO | African Political Organization |
| ASE | Amalgamated Society of Engineers |
| BWIU | Building Workers' Industrial Union |
| CAC | Coloured Advisory Council |
| CAD | Coloured Affairs Department |
| CATA | Cape African Teachers' Association |
| CC | Central Committee |
| CEC | Central Executive Committee |
| CI | Communist International |
| CNETU | Council of Non-European Trade Unions |
| COTT | Central Organization for Technical Training |
| CPNU | Co!oured Peoples' National Union |
| CPSA | Communist Party of South Africa |
| CSL | Constitutional Socialist League |
| ECCI | Executive Committee of the Communist International |
| FAK | Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurverenigings |
| FNETU | Federation of Non-European Trade Unions |
| FSU | Friends of the Soviet Union |
| ICU | Industrial and Commercial Union |
| ICWU | Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union |
| IFTU | International Federation of Trade Unions |
| ILO | International Labour Organization |
| ILP | Independent Labour Party |
| ISL | Industrial Socialist League |
| ISL | International Socialist League (S.A.) |
| IWA | Industrial Workers (Union) of Africa |
| IWU | Industrial Workers' Union |
| IWW | Industrial Workers of the World |
| LP | Labour Party |
| LRC | Labour Representative Committee |
| MWU | Mine Workers' Union |
| NEC | National Executive Committee |
| NECMA | Non-European Christian Ministers Association |
| NETUC | Non-European Trade Union Council |
| NEUF | Non-European United Front |
| NEUM | Non-European Unity Movement |
| NLL | National Liberation League |
| NP | National Party |
| NRC | Native Representative Council |
| NURAHS | National Union of Railway and Harbour Servants |
| OFS | Orange Free State |
| ORC | Orange River Colony |
| PB | Political Bureau |
| PLL | Political Labour League |
| RILU | Red International of Labour Unions |
| SAAEO | South African Association of Employees' Organizations |
| SACTU | South African Council of Trade Unions |
| SAIC | South African Indian Congress |
| SAIF | South African Industrial Federation |
| SAIRR | South African Institute of Race Relations |
| SALP | South African Labour Party |
| SAMWU | South African Mine Workers' Union |
| SAP | South African Party |
| SAR | South African Republic |
| SATLC | South African Trades and Labour Council |
| SATUC | South African Trade Union Congress |
| SDP | Social Democratic Party |
| SDF | Social Democratic Federation |
| SLP | Socialist Labour Party |
| SP | Socialist Party |
| TANC | Transvaal African National Congress |
| TIC | Transvaal Indian Congress |
| TLC | Trades and Labour Council |
| TNA | Transvaal Nationalist Assembly |
| TNC | Transvaal Native Congress |
| UAL | United Afrikaner League |
| UF | United Front |
| UP | United Party |
| USANP | United South African National Party |
| USP | United Socialist Party |
| VFP | Victoria Falls Power Company |
| WMEMU | Witwatersrand Mine Employees' and Mechanics' Union |
| WTLC | Witwatersrand Trades and Labour Council |
| YCL | Young Communist League |