Timeline of South Africa

By Jagd_Jaeger
  • 1480

    South Africa discovered by civilized world

    Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Dias is the first European to travel round the southern tip of Africa
  • Period: 1480 to

    South Africa

  • 1497

    First European landing in South Africa

    Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama lands on Natal coast.

  • First colonization attempt of South Africa

    Jan van Riebeeck, representing the Dutch East India Company, founds the Cape Colony at Table Bay.

  • British occupy Cape Colony

    British forces seize Cape Colony from the Netherlands. Territory is returned to the Dutch in 1803; ceded to the British in 1806.

  • British fight for control over Cape Colony

    Shaka Zulu founds and expands the Zulu empire, creates a formidable fighting force.

  • Orange Free State and Transvaal founded

    Boers leave Cape Colony in the 'Great Trek' and found the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.

  • First instance of South African state

    Boers proclaim the Transvaal a republic

  • Boer War

    After Britain annexes Transvaal, Boers rebel against the British, sparking the first Anglo-Boer War. Conflict ends with a negotiated peace. Transvaal is restored as a republic.

  • Second Boer War

    British troops gather on the Transvaal border and ignore an ultimatum to disperse. The second Anglo-Boer War begins.

  • South Africa becomes independent

    The Union of South Africa parliament enacts the Status of the Union Act, which declares the country to be "a sovereign independent state". The move followed on from Britain's passing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which removed the last vestiges of British legal authority over South Africa.

  • Apartheid begins

    Policy of apartheid (separateness) adopted when National Party (NP) takes power.

  • Apartheid begins to end

    FW de Klerk replaces PW Botha as president, meets Mandela. Public facilities desegregated. Many ANC activists freed.

  • Apartheid ended

    ANC wins first non-racial elections. Mandela becomes president, Government of National Unity formed, Commonwealth membership restored, remaining sanctions lifted. South Africa takes seat in UN General Assembly after 20-year absence.

  • Corruption begins to grow in South Africa

    President Mbeki sacks his deputy, Jacob Zuma, in the aftermath of a corruption case.

  • Mass strike

    June - Hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers take part in the biggest strike since the end of apartheid. The strike lasts for four weeks and causes widespread disruption to schools, hospitals and public transport.