1917 in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Buxton.
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes

  Events

• 16 - The SS Mendi, a troopship, sets sail from Cape Town to Le Havre, France, transporting 823 members of the 802nd South African Native Labour Corps.

• 21 - The SS Mendi is struck on the starboard side by the SS Darro, an 11,000 ton liner, and sinks with the loss of 646 lives.

• The, South Africa's first predominantly black trade union, is established in Johannesburg.

• The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is handed over to the South African Defence Force.
• Gold mining company Anglo American Corporation is founded by Ernest Oppenheimer.

  Births

• 27 October - Oliver Tambo, activist and revolutionary.
• 20 December - Petrus Hugo, Second World War fighter pilot.

  Deaths

• 18 January - Andrew Murray, author, educationist and pastor.

  Railways

Railway lines opened

• 5 March - Natal - Izingolweni to Harding,.
• 20 June - Natal - Gingindlovu to Eshowe,.

  Locomotives

• Three new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways :
• * November - Ten Class 16B 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives.
• * Seven Class K 4-6-4 tank locomotives that had been built for the Philippines but could not be delivered.
• * At least four 2-8-2 Mikado type steam locomotives, built for the Chemins de Fer du Bas Congo à Katanga and obtained on temporary lease to alleviate the critical wartime shortage of locomotives.