The Dutch shipNieuwe Haerlem runs aground at the Cape of Good Hope. Under the leadership of Leendert Janszen, the stranded Dutch seamen stay at the Cape for a year. After their return to the Netherlands, Leendert Janszen and Matthijs Proot are commissioned by theDutch East India Company (VOC) to write a report on their findings on the feasibility of the Cape as a refreshment station.
Leendert Janszen and Matthijs Proot submit theirRemonstrantie, which describes their positive findings of the Cape of Good Hope. Jan van Riebeeck, who was on the ship that rescued the two, was asked to comment on theRemonstrantie and responded positively. The Gentlemen Seventeen, the board of the VOC, then decide that a refreshment station should be established at the Cape.
The United Kingdom captures the Cape Colony from the Netherlands in theBattle of Muizenberg. The Republic of Graaff-Reinet and Republic of Swellendam rebel but are annexed by the British Cape Colony.
This map illustrates the rise of the Zulu Empire under Shaka (1816–1828) in present-daySouth Africa. The rise of the Zulu Empire under Shaka forced other chiefdoms and clans to flee across a wide area of southern Africa. Clans fleeing the Zulu war zone included theSoshangane,Zwangendaba,Ndebele,Hlubi,Ngwane, and theMfengu..
LieutenantMzilikazi refuses to give up his loot to the Zulu king Shaka. He flees with his followers over theDrakensberg and conquers theTransvaal. Expansion of the Mfecane and rise of theNorthern Ndebele people.
The Voortrekkers support a successful coup byMpande, the half-brother of the Zulu king Dingane. Dingane flees and is killed. Andries Pretorius crowns Mpande as Zulu king.
After the murder of dozens of Boers, the ZAR launches a punitive expedition against theSouthern Ndebele king Makapan. Piet Potgieter and over 2000 Southern Ndebele are killed in theSiege of Makapans Cave.
Griqualand West is annexed by the United Kingdom. The founding of New Rush, laterKimberley. The diamond fields are claimed by the Griqua, the Orange Free State, the ZAR and the Cape Colony.
The diamond fields are assigned to the Griqua by GovernorRobert William Keate of the Colony of Natal. As a result, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius resigns as State President of the ZAR.Cecil Rhodes leaves for Kimberley.
TheAnglo-Zulu War breaks out between the United Kingdom and the Zulus. The war is won by the United Kingdom, although they suffer a crushing defeat at theBattle of Isandlwana. The United Kingdom conquers Zululand, and the area is absorbed into the Colony of Natal.
Griqualand East is fully annexed into the Cape Colony.
The Boers of the Transvaal revolt atPaardekraal. A triumvirate consisting of Paul Kruger, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius andPiet Joubert restore the ZAR atHeidelberg .
TheFirst Boer War breaks out between the ZAR and the United Kingdom.
TheFranchise and Ballot Act is passed by Cecil Rhodes to disenfranchise black Africans; it triples the wealth requirement to vote. A precursor act toApartheid that followed.
TheGraaff Electric Lighting Works at the site of the Molteno Dam, becomes the first hydro-electric plant in South Africa, the first power plant in Cape Town, and the second electric power plant in South Africa.
The Jameson Raid is crushed and Jameson is imprisoned. Atelegram congratulating State President Paul Kruger fromKaiser Wilhelm II of Germany causes a scandal. Cecil Rhodes steps down as Prime Minister.
Negotiations at theBloemfontein Conference between State President Paul Kruger and Cape Colony GovernorAlfred Milner fail. TheSecond Boer War breaks out between the ZAR, the Orange Free State and the United Kingdom.
The Orange Free State and the ZAR are conquered by the United Kingdom, but theBittereinders refuse to give up the fight. The United Kingdom uses the scorched earth tactic of burning down farms and imprisoning Boer women and children inconcentration camps. State President Paul Kruger leaves for Europe.
TheTreaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War. The ZAR and the Orange Free State are annexed by the United Kingdom. The ZAR is renamed the BritishTransvaal Colony and the Orange Free State the BritishOrange River Colony.
The Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony are given self-governance.Abraham Fischer becomes the first (and only) Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony.
TheNatives Land Act is enacted, regulating the acquisition of land by black South Africans. It defined less than one-tenth of South Africa as Black "reserves" from which they were allowed purchase or lease of land. Land outside of this was prohibited.
World War II breaks out. Against the wishes of Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog,South Africa declares war on Germany. Hertzog resigns and Jan Smuts is re-elected Prime Minister of South Africa.
TheSauer Commission (a response to the Fagan Commission) recommends segregation should continue and be implemented across all social and economic areas of life.
Dutch is no longer one of South Africa’s official languages.
TheBloukrans Bridge is opened as the highest concrete arch in Africa. It is the site of the world's highest commercial bridge bungee jumping,Bloukrans Bridge Bungy.
State President P. W. Botha gives hisRubicon speech in which he refuses to change his position regarding the Apartheid system, including the release of Mandela.
Reactor Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is synchronised to the grid.
Followingnegotiations to end apartheid in South Africa, State President F. W. de Klerk announces reforms in Apartheid policy. The ban on the African National Congress is lifted and Nelson Mandela is released.
The mandate of South West Africa becomes independent as theRepublic of Namibia.
Mark Shuttleworth becomes the first South African to travel to space as a space tourist; and the first African from an independent country to travel to space.
TheVredefort impact structure (created by one the largest ever asteroids (20 to 25 kilometres in diameter) to strike the Earth, 2.023 billion years ago) is added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its geologic interest.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg)
.jpg)
