Gideon Brand van Zyl (1873–1956) was Governor-General of the Union of South Africa

Governor-General of the Union of South Africa

The Governor-General of the Union of South Africa was the representative of the British and later South African Crown in the Union of South Africa between 31 May 1910 and 31 May 1961...

 from 1945 to 1950. He was the first South African-born holder of the office.

Born in Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

, he was the son of a prominent attorney, and he joined the family firm after qualifying at the University of Cape Town. During the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), he was a legal adviser to the British War Office

War Office

The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

.

In World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 (1914–1918), he was Deputy Director of War Recruiting, and served in the Cape Peninsula Garrison Regiment (a home defence unit).

Van Zyl entered politics in 1915, as a member of the Unionist Party

Unionist Party (South Africa)

The Unionist Party of South Africa was a pre-apartheid South African political party, which contested elections to the Union of South Africa parliament from the 1910 South African general election until its merger into the South African Party just before the 1921 South African general...

. He was a member of the Cape Provincial Council

Cape Provincial Council

The Cape Provincial Council was the legislature of the Cape Province of South Africa. It was created by the South Africa Act 1909, with effect from the formation of the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910...

 (the provincial legislature) until 1918, and then a member of Parliament until 1942. He was Deputy Speaker

Speaker (politics)

The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...

 from 1934 to 1942 (the Speaker being Dr Jansen

Ernest George Jansen

Ernest George Jansen was the second-last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, holding office from 1950 to 1959.Born in 1881, he graduated with a law degree from the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1905, and was admitted as an advocate in 1913.An ardent champion of Afrikaner...

, who was later also governor-general).

From 1942 to 1945, Van Zyl was Administrator of the Cape Province. He served as Governor-General from 1945 until 1950. He was appointed to the Privy Council

Privy council

A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...

 in 1945. In 1947, he hosted King George VI and the British royal family when they toured South Africa.

Van Zyl married Marie Fraser in 1900. He died in 1956.