The Prime Minister announced his retirement to a "dumbfounded" cabinet on 12 October 1954 – it was thought to be linked to his health. The party favourite, E.H. Louw, was suggested by Die Burger to take over.^[1] But in the ensuing months, a race broke out between N.C. Havenga and Hans Strydom – who wanted to accelerate the "nationalist objectives".^[2]

On 30 November 1954, Johannes Strydom was announced as Daniël Malan's successor.^[3]

Post		Minister	Term		Party
	Prime Minister	Johannes Strydom	1954	–	NP
		Dr. Daniël Malan	1948	1954	NP
	Deputy Prime Minister	Adv. Charles Swart	1954	1958	NP
		N. C. Havenga	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Agriculture	The Hon. S. P. le Roux MP	1948	1958	NP
	Minister of Defence	The Hon. F. C. Erasmus MP	1948	–	NP
	Minister of Economic Affairs	The Hon. E. H. Louw MP	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Education, Arts and Science	The Hon. J. H. Viljoen MP	1950	1957	NP
	Minister of Finance	The Hon. Tom Naudé MP	1956	1958	NP
		The Hon. E. H. Louw MP	1954	1956	NP
		The Hon. N. C. Havenga MP	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Foreign Affairs	The Hon. E. H. Louw MP	1955	–	NP
		Johannes Strydom	1954	1955	NP
		Dr. Daniël Malan	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Forestry	The Hon. F. C. Erasmus MP	1956	–	NP
		The Hon. J. H. Viljoen MP	1954	1956	NP
	Minister of Health	The Hon. J. H. Viljoen MP	1956	1957	NP
		The Hon. Tom Naudé MP	1954	1956	NP
		The Hon. A. J. R. van Rhijn MP	1953	1954	NP
	Minister of Interior Affairs	The Hon. Eben Dönges MP	1948	1958	NP
	Minister of Justice	The Hon. Charles Swart MP	1948	–	NP
	Minister of Labour	The Hon. Jan de Klerk MP	1954	–	NP
		The Hon. B. J. Schoeman MP	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Lands and Irrigation	The Hon. P. O. Sauer MP	1954	–	NP
		The Hon. Johannes Strydom MP	1948	1954	NP
	Minister of Native Affairs	The Hon. Hendrik Verwoerd MP	1950	–	NP
	Minister of Posts and Telegraphs	The Hon. Albert Hertzog MP	1954	–	NP
		The Hon. Tom Naudé MP	1950	1954	NP
	Minister of Public Works	The Hon. Jan de Klerk MP	1954	1958	NP
		The Hon. B. J. Schoeman MP	1950	1954	NP
	Minister of Social Welfare	The Hon. J. J. Serfontein MP	1954	–	NP
		The Hon. J. H. Viljoen MP	1953	1954	NP
	Minister of Transport	The Hon. B. J. Schoeman MP	1954	–	NP
		The Hon. P. O. Sauer MP	1948	1954	NP

• "List of Persons". Foreign Relations of the United States. XI (Africa and South Asia). 1954. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
• "Inventory of the private collection of CR Swart" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
• "Inventory of the private collection of FC Erasmus" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Inventory of the private collection of EH Louw" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Inventory of the private collection of JH Viljoen" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Inventory of the private collection of J de Klerk" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
• "Inventory of the private collection of BJ Schoeman" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Inventory of the private collection of JJ Serfontein" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
• "Inventory of the private collection of H Verwoerd" (PDF). University of Free State Archive. Retrieved 10 September 2015.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• "Rules – SA Gov". Rulers. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
• The Commonwealth at the Summit: Communiqués of Commonwealth Heads. Commonwealth Secretariat. 1987. ISBN 9780850923179. Retrieved 11 November 2013.