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, James Rose Innes.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Charles Molteno, John Gordon Sprigg.

  Events

• 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.

• 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.

• 4 - The Zulus are defeated at Ulundi and the war ends.

• 28 - The Zulu King Cetshwayo is captured.

  Births

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.

  Railways

Railway lines opened

• March - Natal - Pinetown to Botha's Hill,.
• 11 August - Cape Western - Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road,.
• 26 August - Cape Midland - Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet,.
• 1 September - Natal - Avoca to Verulam,.
• 3 September - Cape Midland - Alicedale to Grahamstown,.
• 17 September - Cape Midland - Alicedale to Middleton,.
• 3 November - Cape Eastern - Döhne to Cathcart,.

  Locomotives

• Two new locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways :
• * 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 Brunel gauge 0-4-0 well-tank engine in excavation and breakwater construction service.

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