EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION
                CERTIFICATION OF THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                     PURSUANT TO 15 U.S.C. 78M(A) OR 78O(D)
                 (SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)


         I, Mack I. Whittle, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of The South Financial
Group, Inc. ("TSFG") certify that:

1.       I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of TSFG;

2.       Based  on my  knowledge,  this  report  does  not  contain  any  untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances  under which
         such  statements  were made, not misleading  with respect to the period
         covered by this report;

3.       Based on my knowledge,  the financial  statements,  and other financial
         information  included in this  report,  fairly  present in all material
         respects the financial condition,  results of operations and cash flows
         of TSFG as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.       TSFG's other certifying officer  and I are responsible for establishing
         and  maintaining  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  (as defined in
         Exchange  Act Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  for TSFG and have:
         a)       designed such  disclosure controls  and procedures,  or caused
                  such disclosure controls and procedures to be  designed  under
                  our supervision, to ensure that material information  relating
                  to TSFG,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made
                  known to us by others  within   those  entities,  particularly
                  during  the period in which this report is being prepared;
         b)       [reserved];
         c)       Evaluated the effectiveness of TSFG's disclosure  controls and
                  procedures and presented in this report our conclusions  about
                  the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,
                  as of the end of the period  covered by this  report  based on
                  such evaluation; and
         d)       Disclosed in this report any change in TSFG's internal control
                  over  financial  reporting  that  occurred  during TSFG's most
                  recent fiscal  quarter  (TSFG's  fourth fiscal  quarter in the
                  case of an annual report) that has materially affected,  or is
                  reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,   TSFG's  internal
                  control over financial reporting; and

5.       TSFG's other  certifying  officer  and I have  disclosed,  based on our
         most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
         TSFG's  auditors  and the audit  committee of TSFG's board of directors
         (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
         a)       all significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the
                  design  or  operation  of  internal   control  over  financial
                  reporting  which are  reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect
                  TSFG's  ability  to  record,  process,  summarize  and  report
                  financial information; and
         b)       any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management
                  or other  employees  who  have a  significant  role in  TSFG's
                  internal control over financial reporting.


Date: August 12, 2003
                                  /s/ Mack I. Whittle, Jr.
                                  -----------------------------------
                                  Mack I. Whittle, Jr.
                                  Chief Executive Officer
                                  The South Financial Group, Inc.