Founded in 1908, and joined the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1909. SAASU, along with the Rhodesian Amateur Swimming Association, was expelled from FINA at the first World Championships,  held in Belgrade during September 1973. In 1992 SAASU was replaced by the SAASA (South African Amateur Swimming Association), which was later renamed Swimming South Africa. Anti-Apartheid activist Sam Ramsammy was given the role of President of the new government-appointed national governing body for aquatic sports. 

Aquatic sports in South Africa was traditionally managed on a provincial basis, by the national governing body known as the South African Amateur Swimming Union (SAASU). At the time of its founding in 1899 the first member Provinces of SAASU just were Western Province and Eastern Province. The first "national" inter-provincial water polo championship event, known as the Currie Cup Tournament, was held at Port Elizabeth in 1900. (One has to wonder at the British presumption of establishing a "South African " organization in the Cape Colony, in the middle of the Boer War, ten years before the country itself was created!) 

After the Boer War ended in 1902, more provinces began to join the Union. The Orange River Colony (ORC), and Transvaal Colony became members, although the Transvaal soon split into Northern and Southern Transvaal, with Eastern (1957) and Western Transvaal emerging as provinces in their own right many years later. 

Mossel Bay and East London were represented and sent their teams to the championships, although they later became part of Eastern Province and Border. The Northern Cape city of Kimberley, home of Karen Muir, became the home of the Griqualand West province. Rhodesia was a province until 1981, and South West Africa also competed, until 1990. The Vaal Triangle Province, located across the Orange River in both the Transvaal and OFS, was created in the 1970s.