The earliest known rock drawing is made with ochre crayon in the Blombos Cave.
61 000 BP =
The earliest bone and stone arrows are left here at the Sibudu Cave, along with the earliest needle, and earliest use of heat-treated mixed compound gluing
Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the Cape of Good Hope.
1647
The Dutch ship Nieuwe Haerlem runs aground at the Cape of Good Hope. Under the leadership of Leendert Janszen, the stranded Dutch seamen stay at the Cape for a year. After their return to the Netherlands, Leendert Janszen and Matthijs Proot were commissioned by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to write a report on their findings on the feasibility of the Cape as a refreshment station.
1649
Leendert Janszen and Matthijs Proot submit their Remonstrantie, which describes their positive findings of the Cape of Good Hope. Jan van Riebeeck, who was on the ship that rescued the two, was asked to comment on the Remonstrantie and responded positively. The Gentlemen Seventeen, the board of the VOC, then decide that a refreshment station should be established at the Cape.
The Auwal Mosque is founded in Bo-Kaap by Imam Tuan Guru. It is South Africa's first mosque.
The British Cape Colony
1795
The United Kingdom captures the Cape Colony from the Netherlands in the Battle of Muizenberg. The Republic of Graaff-Reinet and Republic of Swellendam rebel but are annexed by the British Cape Colony.
The Dutch language is abolished in the civil service and court of the Cape Colony.
1823
Lieutenant Mzilikazi refuses to give up his loot to the Zulu king Shaka. He flees with his followers over the Drakensberg and conquers the Transvaal. Expansion of the Mfecane and rise of the Northern Ndebele people.
The Voortrekkers support a successful coup by Mpande, the half-brother of the Zulu king Dingane. Dingane flees and is killed. Andries Pretorius crowns Mpande as Zulu king.
After the murder of dozens of Boers, the ZAR launches a punitive expedition against the Southern Ndebele king Makapan. Piet Potgieter and over 2000 Southern Ndebele are killed in the Siege of Makapans Cave.
1855
Founding of Pretoria, named after Andries Pretorius.
1856
An apocalyptic prophecy by the Xhosa girl Nongqawuse leads to the starvation of some 40 000 Xhosa.
The first constitution of the ZAR is approved by the Volksraad, but not accepted by all inhabitants.
Griqualand West is annexed by the United Kingdom. The founding of New Rush, later Kimberley. The diamond fields are claimed by the Griqua, the Orange Free State, the ZAR and the Cape Colony.
1871
The diamond fields are assigned to the Griqua by Governor Robert William Keate of the Colony of Natal. As a result, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius resigns as State President of the ZAR. Cecil Rhodes leaves for Kimberley.
Paul Kruger's second peaceful attempt to restore ZAR independence fails.
1879
The Anglo-Zulu War breaks out between the United Kingdom and the Zulus. The war is won by the United Kingdom, although they suffer a crushing defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana. The United Kingdom conquers Zululand, and the area is absorbed into the Colony of Natal.
The Boers of the Transvaal revolt at Paardekraal. A triumvirate consisting of Paul Kruger, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius and Piet Joubert restore the ZAR at Heidelberg .
The First Boer War breaks out between the ZAR and the United Kingdom.
The Graaff Electric Lighting Works becomes the first hydro-electric plant in South Africa, the first power plant in Cape Town, and the second electric power plant in South Africa.
1896
The Jameson Raid is crushed and Jameson is imprisoned. The telegram congratulating Kruger from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to state president Paul Kruger causes a scandal. Cecil Rhodes steps down as Prime Minister.
Negotiations at the Bloemfontein Conference between State President Paul Kruger and Cape Colony Governor Alfred Milner fail. The Second Boer War breaks out between the ZAR, the Orange Free State and the United Kingdom.
1900
The Orange Free State and the ZAR are conquered by the United Kingdom, but the Bittereinders refuse to give up the fight. The United Kingdom uses the scorched earth tactic of burning down farms and imprisoning Boer women and children in concentration camps. State President Paul Kruger leaves for Europe.
1901
Emily Hobhouse sounds the alarm about the concentration camps of the Boer War. Conditions in the camps are improving.
1902
The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War. The ZAR and the Orange Free State are annexed by the United Kingdom. The ZAR is renamed the British Transvaal Colony and the Orange Free State the British Orange River Colony.
Unification
1904
62 000 Chinese miners arrive in the Transvaal Colony.
1907
The Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony are given self-governance. Abraham Fischer became the first (and only) Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony.
The Natives Land Act is enacted, regulating the acquisition of land by black South Africans. It defined less than one-tenth of South Africa as Black "reserves" from which they were allowed purchase or lease of land. Land outside of this was prohibited.
1914
The Boer general Koos de la Rey is accidentally shot dead.
The South African Party and National Party merge to form the United Party.
1939
World War II breaks out. Against the wishes of Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog, South Africa declares war on Germany. Hertzog resigns and Jan Smuts is re-elected Prime Minister of South Africa.
Apartheid
1948
South Africa annexes the Prince Edward Islands.
D. F. Malan is elected Prime Minister of South Africa.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his peaceful opposition to Apartheid.
Reactor Unit 1 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is synchronised to the grid.
1985
State President P. W. Botha gives his Rubicon speech in which he refuses to change his position regarding the Apartheid system, including the release of Mandela.
1986
P. W. Botha declares a state of emergency over South Africa after the United States introduces the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act.
1989
State President P. W. Botha suffers a stroke and resigns. F. W. de Klerk is elected State President of South Africa.
South Africa ends its nuclear weapons programme and dismantles six fully completed nuclear weapons.
1990
State President F. W. de Klerk announces reforms in Apartheid policy. The ban on the African National Congress is lifted and Nelson Mandela is released.
The mandate of South West Africa becomes independent as the Republic of Namibia.
1992
The white people of South Africa approve of De Klerk's reforms in a referendum.
45 people are killed in the Boipatong Massacre, an attack committed by supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party.
1993
Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Communist politician Chris Hani is murdered by a far-right extremist.
Mark Shuttleworth becomes the first South African to travel to space as a space tourist; and the first African from an independent country to travel to space.
The Vredefort impact structure, created by one the largest ever asteroids (20 to 25 kilometres in diameter) to strike the Earth 2.023 billion years ago is added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its geologic interest.