Kyalami · 4 March 1978
Ronnie Peterson won the 1978 South African Grand Prix for Team Lotus from 12th on the grid, 0.466s ahead of Patrick Depailler. Alan Jones gained the most places, from 18th on the grid to 4th.
| Pos | Team | Points Breakdown | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Lotus Peterson 9 + Andretti 0 + Rebaque 0 | Peterson 9 + Andretti 0 + Rebaque 0 | 9 | |
| 2 | Tyrrell Depailler 6 + Pironi 1 | Depailler 6 + Pironi 1 | 7 | |
| 3 | Brabham Watson 4 + Lauda 0 | Watson 4 + Lauda 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Williams Jones 3 | Jones 3 | 3 | |
| 5 | Ligier Laffite 2 | Laffite 2 | 2 | |
| 6 | ATS Jarier 0 + Mass 0 | Jarier 0 + Mass 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Arrows Stommelen 0 + Patrese 0 | Stommelen 0 + Patrese 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | McLaren Lunger 0 + Tambay 0 + Hunt 0 | Lunger 0 + Tambay 0 + Hunt 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Surtees Brambilla 0 + Keegan 0 | Brambilla 0 + Keegan 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Wolf Scheckter 0 | Scheckter 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Ferrari Villeneuve 0 + Reutemann 0 | Villeneuve 0 + Reutemann 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Merzario Merzario 0 | Merzario 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Renault Jabouille 0 | Jabouille 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Theodore Rosberg 0 | Rosberg 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Fittipaldi Fittipaldi 0 | Fittipaldi 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Hesketh Cheever 0 | Cheever 0 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | Team | Race time / Gap | Laps | Stops | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronnie Peterson Team Lotus | Team Lotus | 1:42:15.767 | 78 | — | 9 | |
| 2 | Patrick Depailler Tyrrell | Tyrrell | +0.466s | 78 | — | 6 | |
| 3 | John Watson Brabham | Brabham | +4.442s | 78 | — | 4 | |
| 4 | Alan Jones Williams | Williams | +30.986s | 78 | — | 3 | |
| 5 | Jacques Laffite Ligier | Ligier | +1:09.218 | 78 | — | 2 | |
| 6 | Didier Pironi Tyrrell | Tyrrell | +1 Lap | 77 | — | 1 | |
| 7 | Mario Andretti Team Lotus | Team Lotus | +1 Lap | 77 | — | — | |
| 8 | Jean-Pierre Jarier ATS | ATS | +1 Lap | 77 | — | — | |
| 9 | Rolf Stommelen Arrows | Arrows | +1 Lap | 77 | — | — | |
| 10 | Hector Rebaque Team Lotus | Team Lotus | +1 Lap | 77 | — | — | |
| 11 | Brett Lunger McLaren | McLaren | +2 Laps | 76 | — | — | |
| 12 | Vittorio Brambilla Surtees | Surtees | +2 Laps | 76 | — | — | |
| DNF | Riccardo Patrese Arrows | Arrows | DNF Engine | 63 | — | — | |
| DNF | Jody Scheckter Wolf | Wolf | DNF Spun off | 59 | — | — | |
| DNF | Patrick Tambay McLaren | McLaren | DNF Accident | 56 | — | — | |
| DNF | Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari | Ferrari | DNF Oil leak | 55 | — | — | |
| DNF | Carlos Reutemann Ferrari | Ferrari | DNF Spun off | 55 | — | — | |
| DNF | Niki Lauda Brabham | Brabham | DNF Engine | 52 | — | — | |
| DNF | Rupert Keegan Surtees | Surtees | DNF Engine | 52 | — | — | |
| DNF | Jochen Mass ATS | ATS | DNF Engine | 43 | — | — | |
| DNF | Arturo Merzario Merzario | Merzario | DNF Suspension | 39 | — | — | |
| DNF | Jean-Pierre Jabouille Renault | Renault | DNF Engine | 38 | — | — | |
| DNF | Keke Rosberg Theodore | Theodore | DNF Clutch | 15 | — | — | |
| DNF | Emerson Fittipaldi Fittipaldi | Fittipaldi | DNF Transmission | 9 | — | — | |
| DNF | Eddie Cheever Hesketh | Hesketh | DNF Oil leak | 8 | — | — | |
| DNF | James Hunt McLaren | McLaren | DNF Engine | 5 | — | — |