Fourier and spectral analysis of rainfall records at 163 South African stations over the period 1910-1969, and at thirty-nine stations from 1880–1969, shows that cyclical fluctuations with periods of about 18–20, 13–15, 10, 4.5, 3.5, 2.8, and 2.3 years account for much of the observed rainfall variance over the country. These fluctuations exhibit distinctive regional distributions that appear to have changed little over the last century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]