1879 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1879 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
 * Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
 * State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
 * State President of the South African Republic: vacant.
 * Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon (until March), James Rose Innes (starting March).
 * Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Charles Molteno (until February), John Gordon Sprigg (starting February).

Events

 * January
 * 11 – Britain declares war against the Zulus and launches the Anglo-Zulu War after an ultimatum issued on 11 December 1878 is rejected.
 * 22 – The Zulus wipe out British forces in the Battle of Isandlwana.
 * 22-23 – The British prevail against a Zulu attack in the Battle of Rorke's Drift.


 * March
 * 7 – The first British troops arrive in Durban from all over the Empire.
 * 12 – A force of 2,000 Zulus attacks a British camp at Ntombi River. Of the 60 men in the camp, only 15 escape.


 * July
 * 4 – The Zulus are defeated at Ulundi and the war ends.


 * August
 * 28 – The Zulu King Cetshwayo is captured.

Deaths

 * 4 May – William Froude, engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect, dies in Simon's Town
 * 1 June – Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial is killed in action when ambushed by Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Railway lines opened

 * March – Natal – Pinetown to Botha's Hill, 14 mi.
 * 11 August – Cape Western – Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road, 52 mi.
 * 26 August – Cape Midland – Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet, 72 mi.
 * 1 September – Natal – Avoca to Verulam, 12 mi.
 * 3 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Grahamstown, 34 mi.
 * 17 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Middleton, 38 mi.
 * 3 November – Cape Eastern – Döhne to Cathcart, 42 mi.

Locomotives

 * Cape
 * Two new locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
 * The first four of fifteen 1st Class 4-4-0 American type passenger locomotives on the Western and Eastern systems.
 * The first six of ten 1st Class 2-6-0 Mogul type goods locomotives on the Western system.
 * The Table Bay Harbour Board places its fourth 7 ft Brunel gauge 0-4-0 well-tank engine in excavation and breakwater construction service.


 * Natal
 * The Natal Government Railways places seven 2-6-0T locomotives in service, later to be modified to a 4-6-0T wheel arrangement and designated Class G.
 * The Natal Harbours Department in Durban places a single 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive in service, named John Milne.