I'm heading to South Africa this March for my first safari.   For those that have gone,  did you get any special vaccinations before you went?

I am also wondering if it would be worth it to get the anti-malaria pills before going?

The list of recommended vaccinations is LONG, but you likely have most already: https://www.passporthealthusa.com/destination-advice/south-africa/

Whether you should take malaria prophylactics depends on where you will be in SA. If you decide to take a prophylactic I can say Malarone has been issue free for me. Occasional wild dreams but nothing worse.

Vaccination against machete slashes.

need to get vaccination against being murdered by flaming tire around your neck

I'll have some 180 gr. "tablets" to help prevent that.

Was near there a few months back. Was required to be up to date on yellow fever for sure.

And also took malaron. Gave me no issues, but i am very resistant to medicine, they barely alter my mental state. Be aware that malaron needs to start at least two days before arrival in country.

You've probably already had most of the vaccinations you'll need.
Make sure you are up to date on stuff like tetanus. As for Malaria...March should be low risk time for that...as someone that is going through a recurring Malaria flareup at the moment (thanks Mozambique) I can tell you NOT to fuck around with it. Malaria very nearly killed me, my sister and my dad all at the same time.

I went to the travel clinic for one of our local hospitals in the middle of last month.  They asked me when I was going and had me show them on a map what part of SA I was going too.

As mentioned already, if you went to a pubic school you'll have most things you need.  I had already received this years flu vaccine from my work.  Based on that, I was given a Tetanus booster, Typhoid and Hep A vaccines.  Hep A requires a booster 6 months after the first injection.

South Africa is not yellow fever area, so they didn't give me that.  I was also told the area I am going to isn't a malaria risk, so I didn't need any thing for it.  However, they did say that if my plans change and I want to travel to the Northern Provence to let them know and they will give me something.

I was also given a prescription for Cypro incase of food related illness.

Chances of food related illness is slim to none unless you eat from obviouslt sketchy road side stalls. Water is safe to drink in most cases, but I would stick with bottled anyways.
True about malaria in Northern parts...also mpumalanga and some parts of Natal...but not really that time of the year...

Everything you need to go to public school, plus malaria if you are going into a malarial zone. I also got a cholera vaccine. It was pricy, but I was hunting way off the beaten track and cholera can kill you RFN.
I have never had malaria (knock on wood) but both my father and grandfather served in malarial zones from what they described it, I bet I could tough it out in the beginning stages to hike out. Worse case scenario I could walk ou 30 miles in 2 days before I got to bad and everything else has gone to complete shit.
Not so much with Cholera.

Bring all the meds you reasonably can, and whatever you didn't use, give to the locals that helped you.