The 1989 Santam Bank Trophy was the third tier of domestic South African rugby, below the two Currie Cup divisions.
Teams
Changes between 1989 and 1990 seasons
Divisions A and B merged into one nine-team division. , and were promoted to the Currie Cup Division B.
Changes between 1990 and 1991 seasons
The 1990 season was the last edition of the Santam Bank Trophy. Instead, these teams were included in a Currie Cup Rural Division, which had a four-team Division C and a five-team Division D. were promoted to the 1991 Currie Cup Central B. were relegated from 1990 Currie Cup Division B to the 1991 Currie Cup Rural C. , and moved to the 1991 Currie Cup Rural C. , , , and moved to the 1991 Currie Cup Rural D.
Competition
Regular season and title play-offs
There were nine participating teams in the Santam Bank Trophy Division A. Teams played each other once over the course of the season, either at home or away. Teams received two points for a win and one points for a draw. The top two teams in the division qualified for the title play-off finals. The team that finished first would play at home against the team that finished second.
Log
The final standings after the pool stage of the Santam Bank Trophy was as follows: