1870 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1870 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:
 * Sir Philip Wodehouse (until 19 May).
 * Charles Craufurd Hay (acting from 20 May to 30 December).
 * Sir Henry Barkly (from 31 December).
 * Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Robert William Keate.
 * State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
 * State President of the South African Republic: Marthinus Wessel Pretorius.

Events

 * May
 * 20 – Charles Craufurd Hay becomes acting Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa.


 * July
 * 30 – The Klipdrift Republic is proclaimed by a group of diamond miners with Stafford Parker as their president.


 * December
 * 31 – Sir Henry Barkly is appointed Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa.


 * Date unknown
 * The Alfred Basin in Table Bay Harbour, named after Prince Alfred, is completed.

Births

 * 24 May – Jan Smuts, South African soldier and statesman. (d. 1950)

Deaths

 * 11 March – Moshoeshoe I, King of Lesotho. (b. c. 1786)

Locomotives

 * A second locomotive is at work on excavation and breakwater construction in Table Bay Harbour, a 0-4-0 saddle-tank engine believed to have been built by Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works and delivered to the Cape at some time between 1863 and 1870.