1863 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1863 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir Philip Wodehouse.
 * Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: John Scott.
 * State President of the Orange Free State:
 * Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (until 17 June).
 * Jacobus Johannes Venter (acting from 20 June).
 * President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic: W.C. Janse van Rensburg (acting until instated).

Events

 * March
 * 18 – Joseph Allison becomes acting State President of the Orange Free State until 17 June during the absence of M.W. Pretorius.


 * April
 * 1 – The Cape Town and Green Point Tramway Company commences with the first horse-drawn trams in Cape Town from the foot of Adderley Street and out along Somerset Road to Green Point.


 * June
 * 17 – M.W. Pretorius resigns as State President of the Orange Free State.
 * 20 – Jacobus Johannes Venter becomes acting State President of the Orange Free State.


 * October
 * 23 – Acting President Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg becomes President of the Executive Council of the South African Republic.


 * November
 * 4 – The Cape Town-Wellington railway is officially inaugurated.

Railway lines opened

 * 4 November – Cape Western – Stellenbosch to Wellington, 27 mi.