1887 in South Africa

The following events happened in South Africa during the year 1887.

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: Paul Kruger.
 * Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.

Events

 * June
 * 21 – The Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) is floated.
 * 21 – Zululand becomes a British colony.


 * Unknown date
 * The town of Boksburg is laid out to serve the surrounding gold mines.
 * The Stellenbosch Gymnasium, later to become the Stellenbosch University, changes its name to Victoria College, after Queen Victoria.

Deaths

 * 29 May – Xhosa chief Sandile is killed in Denge Forest in a skirmish with the Fingos under the command of Captain J. Lonsdale.

New lines

 * Construction begins on the Delagoa Bay-Pretoria line.

Railway lines opened

 * October – Cape Central – Worcester to Roodewal, 42 mi.

Locomotives

 * The Lourenco Marques, Delagoa Bay and East Africa Railway in Mozambique places two 4-6-0 tank locomotives in service, one of which will become the Portuguese Tank on the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway in 1897.