1922-1938: HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught
KG PC KT GCMG KCVOCB Governor-General of the Union of South Africa

1939-1948: Hon Jan H Hofmeyr
BA BSc MA (CGH) MA (Oxon) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonDCL (Oxon) MP

1949-1961: The Hon Richard Feetham
CMG QC MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1962-1974: The Hon Oliver Deneys Schreiner
MC MA (Cantab) HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Cape Town)

1975-1982: Bertrand Leon Bernstein
BAHons LLB HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1982-1996: Aanon Michael Rosholt
CA(SA) HonDEcon (Natal) HonFCM (SA) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1997-2007: The Hon Richard Goldstone
BA LLB (Witwatersrand)

2006-2012: The Hon Justice D Moseneke
BA Bluris LLB (Unisa)

(Note: Since 1948 the offices of Vice-Chancellor and Principal have been held by the same person)

1922-1925: Sir Robert N Kotzé
BA (CGH) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1926-1929: Hon Jan H Hofmeyr
BA BSc MA (CGH) MA (Oxon) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonDCL (Oxon) MP

1930-1937: Henry J Hofmeyr
BA (CGH) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1937-1938: Sir Robert N Kotzé
BA (CGH) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1938-1947: Hon Richard Feetham
CMG QC MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1948-1953: Humphrey R Raikes
AFC MA (Oxon) HonLLB (Bristol) HonLLD (Cantab, Toronto, Cape Town) HonDSc (Witwatersrand)

1954-1962: William G Sutton
BAHons BSc (Eng) (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1963-1968: Ian D MacCrone
BA MA (Cape Town) MA (Oxon) DPhil HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Rhodes)

1969-1977: Guerino R Bozzoli
BSc (Eng) DSc (Eng) HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Cape Town) PrEng HonFSAIEE HonFRSSAf

1978-1983: Daniel J du Plessis
MB ChB (Cape Town) ChM HonLLD (Witwatersrand) FRCS (Eng) FACS (Hon) HonFCS (SA)

1984-1987: Karl Tober
Bearer of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art (First Class) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1987-1997: Robert W Charlton
BSc MBBch MD (Witwatersrand) FRCP (Edin) FRSSAf

1998-2001: Colin J Bundy
BA (Natal) BAHons (Witwatersrand) MPhil DPhil (Oxon) Hon DLitt (Manchester Metropolitan)

2001-2002: Norma G Reid Birley
BSc MSc (Sus) DPhil (Ulster) FSS FRSA

2003-2013: Loyiso Nongxa
BScHons MSc (UFH) DPhil (Oxon)

2014 – 2020: Adam Habib
BA (Natal), BA (Hons) (Witwatersrand), MA (Natal), MPhil (New York), PhD (New York)  

2021 – Present: Professor Z Vilakazi
 BSc (Manchester) MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf, FAAS, FRS

1922-1939: Sir William Dalrymple
KBE VD HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1940-1954: P M Anderson
BSc (Eng) (CGH) HonDSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)

1955-1959: F E Kanthack
CMG HonDSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)

1960-1968: B L Bernstein
BA Hons LLB HonLLD (Witwatersrand) 

1969-1972: M W Richards
MA (Cantab) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1973-1978: F G Hill
BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) MA (Oxon) HonDPhil (UPE) HonLLD (Witwatersrand) PrEng

1978-1988: N Stutterheim
BSc (Eng) DSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand) PrEng

1989-1996: S A G Anderson
BSc (Rhodes) BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)

1996-1997: The Hon Mr Justice FC Bam
BSc (Rhodes) BA (Cape Town) BProc LLB (Unisa)

1998-2008: Judge Cameron
BA (Stellenbosch) LLB (Unisa) BA (Civil Law) (Oxford) MA (Oxford)

2008-2013: S Macozoma
BA Hons (Unisa)

1922-1935: H W J van der Brugge
BA MA LLB (Unisa) 

1936-1953: I Glyn Thomas
MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1954-1975: A de V Herholdt
BCom HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1923-1924: H J Hofmeyr
BA (CGH) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1925-1926: Professor C M Drennan
MA (Cantab)

1927-1928: Professor J A Wilkinson
MA (Cantab) MIChemE

1929: Professor R F A Hoernl¨¦
MA BSc (Oxon)

1930-1932: T A Lawrie
BCom (Witwatersrand)

1933-1936: Professor R F A Hoernl¨¦
MA BSc (Oxon)

1937-1946: W Grant MacKenzie
BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) 

1947-1948: S Suzman
BSc BCom (Witwatersrand)

1949-1952: W H Milton
BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)

1953-1954: W E Marsh
BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA)

1955-1956: J Morris
BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA) 

1957-1964: Professor S S Israelstam
BScHons MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) HonMSAChemI FRSC CChem SciNat TTD

1965-1966: C Adler
MB BCh DPhysMed HonLLD (Witwatersrand)

1967-1970: V C Robinson
BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) PrEng MIMM MSAIMM

1971-1974: S C Newman
BSc (Eng) MSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) MA (Oxon) PrEng MIMM

1975-1978: C G Hovelmeier
BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA) FCIS

1979-1982: D E Greig
BArch MArch PhD (Witwatersrand) MIA RegArch (SA) ARIBA

1983-1986: H Lampert
BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) PrEng FSAIMM

1987-1992: E N Finsen
BArch DipTP (Witwatersrand) MIA ARIBA RegArch (SA) MCSSA FCA

1992-1994: H Heydt
BDS (Witwatersrand) FICD

1994-1996: D A Young
BSc (Witwatersrand) BEd (Unisa) MEd (Witwatersrand) TTHD

1996-1998: R T Hunter
BA LLB LLM (Witwatersrand)

1998-2002: Professor J Shochot
BSc Hons (Witwatersrand) MCSSA

2002-2006: G S Mseleku
BA LLB LLM (Taxation) HDipCoLaw (Witwatersrand) FInstD

2006-2010: Professor D L Kolitz
BCom (Natal) BComHons (Unisa) MCom (Witwatersrand)

2010-2011: I May

2011-2016: Professor M Phakeng
B.A. (Ed) (UNW) B. Ed (Witwatersrand) M.Ed. (Witwatersrand) PhD (Witwatersrand)

1972-1974: E L Huddle
BCom (SA) ACIS

1970-1975: J A King
BSc (Cape Town)

1975-1978: G E S Burns

1976-1983: E E Glover
BA(Hons) (Belfast) MBA (Strath) MIPM

1976-1986: Col S C Smith
BSc (Eng) Hons MSc (Lond) PrEng CEng MIMeche MSAIMechE FINUCE FBIM

1976-1994: K W Standenmacher
BA (Rhodes)

1995-1996: B A Dickson
BSc (Unisa) PGCE (Cantab) RPP

1995-2010: D K Swemmer
BAHons MA (Pret) DLitt et Phil (Unisa) TTHD (JCE)

2011-2013: K S Menon
BA Hons (UDW) Hons (Unisa) MBA (De Montfort)