1857 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1857 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir George Grey.
 * Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott.
 * State President of the Orange Free State: Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff.
 * President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic: Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (from 6 January).

Events
January
 * 6 – Marthinus Wessel Pretorius becomes the first President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek).

June
 * 29 – Act no. 10 of 29 June 1857 grants the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company approval to construct a 57 mi railway between Cape Town and Wellington.

Unknown date
 * Robert Moffat completes Old Testament Bible translation into Setswana.
 * About 157 Irish women arrive on the ship Lady Kennaway and settle in British Kaffraria.
 * The first Legislative Council is selected in the Natal Colony.
 * The Union Steam Ship Company wins the first mail contract for regular mail service between Great Britain and South Africa.
 * The Cape Point Lighthouse at Cape Point is built.
 * Building of the Roman Rock Lighthouse at the entrance to Simon's Town starts and only completed in 1861.

Births

 * 2 October – Martinus Theunis Steyn, lawyer, politician and statesman, last president of the independent Orange Free State. (d. 1916)

Deaths

 * 15 December – Anna Maria Truter, Cape Colony botanical artist and wife of Sir John Barrow, 1st Baronet. (b. 1777)