1883 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1883 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
 * 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: Triumviate of Paul Kruger, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius and Piet Joubert (until 9 May), Paul Kruger (starting 9 May).
 * Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Thomas Charles Scanlen.

Events

 * April
 * 16 – Paul Kruger is re-elected president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.


 * May
 * 9 – Paul Kruger is sworn in as president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.


 * July
 * 22 – Zulu King Cetshwayo barely escapes with his life in a rebel attack.


 * August
 * 6 – The United States of Stellaland is established when the Republics of Stellaland and Goshen unite.
 * 12 – The last Quagga in the world dies in captivity at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam, making the species extinct.

Births

 * February – Z. D. Mangoaela, Basotho folklorist and writer (d. 1963)
 * 6 August – Constance Georgina Adams, botanist (d. 1968)

Deaths

 * 9 August – Robert Moffat, Scottish Congregationalist missionary. Died in Leigh near Tunbridge Wells, England.

Railway lines opened

 * 5 May – Cape Western – Muizenberg to Kalkbaai, 1 mi.
 * 14 May – Cape Western – Beaufort West to Victoria West Road, 80 mi.
 * 15 October – Cape Eastern – Queenstown to Sterkstroom, 35 mi.
 * 16 October – Cape Midland – Cradock to Colesberg, 126 mi.

Locomotives

 * Eighteen 3rd Class 4-4-0 tender passenger locomotives are delivered to the Cape Government Railways from Neilson and Company and placed in passenger service out of Cape Town, East London and Port Elizabeth respectively.