← 1904 1903 1902 1905 in South Africa → 1906 1907 1908
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1905 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa:Walter Hely-Hutchinson.
• Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Edward McCallum.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Leander Starr Jameson.
• Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony: Alfred Milner (until 7 June), William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne (starting 7 June).
• Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal: George Morris Sutton (until 16 May), Charles John Smythe (starting 16 May).

Events

January

• 26 – The Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond in the world at 3,106 carats (621.2 g), is discovered by Captain Frederick Wells at Cullinan.

Unknown date

• Non-whites are not given voting rights, except in the Cape Colony.
• The Cape Town City Hall in Darling Street is built.

Births

• 3 February – Herman Charles Bosman, writer and journalist, is born at Kuilsrivier, Cape Town. (d. 1951)
• 8 April – Helen Joseph, activist, is born in Sussex, England. (d. 1992)
• 5 July – Jock Cameron, cricketer. (d. 1935)
• 9 August – Moses Kotane, anti-apartheid activist. (d. 1978)
• 2 September – Harry Hart, athlete. (d. 1979)
• 4 September – Eileen Mary Challans, writer is born in Essex, England. (d. 1983)

Deaths

• 18 April – Enoch Sontonga, composer of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, dies at age 32.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 1 February – Free State – Springfontein to Jagersfontein, 48 miles 13 chains (77.5 kilometres).^[1]
• 1 March – Free State – Aberfeldy to Bethlehem, 44 miles 10 chains (71.0 kilometres).^[1]
• 27 March – Transvaal – Rayton to Cullinan, 6 miles (9.7 kilometres).^[1]
• 1 May – Cape Western – Hutchinson to Pampoenpoort, 48 miles 28 chains (77.8 kilometres).^[2]
• 18 May – Cape Eastern – Xalanga to Elliot, 19 miles 27 chains (31.1 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 August – Transvaal – Klerksdorp to Vierfontein (Free State), 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).^[1]
• 19 September – Cape Western – De Aar to Prieska, 112 miles 8 chains (180.4 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 November – Cape Eastern – Komga to Eagle, 27 miles 4 chains (43.5 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 November – Cape Midland – Humewood Road to Humansdorp (Narrow gauge), 68 miles 57 chains (110.6 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 November – Natal – Elandskop to Donnybrook, 42 miles 38 chains (68.4 kilometres).^[1]
• 2 November – Cape Eastern – Aliwal North to Lady Grey, 39 miles 65 chains (64.1 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 December – Cape Western – Cape Town to Sea Point, 3 miles 51 chains (5.9 kilometres).^[1][2]
• 16 December – Cape Western – Van der Stel to Strand, 2 miles 6 chains (3.3 kilometres).^[2]
• 16 December – Free State – Modderpoort to Ladybrand, 7 miles (11.3 kilometres).^[1]

• 18 December – Free State – Marseilles to Maseru in Basutoland, 16 miles 32 chains (26.4 kilometres).^[1]
• 20 December – Transvaal – Springs to Breyten, 121 miles 78 chains (196.3 kilometres).^[1]
• 22 December – Free State – Dover to Parys, 20 miles 18 chains (32.5 kilometres).^[1]

Locomotives

Cape

• A single 0-4-2 tank locomotive named Britannia is placed in service by the Cape Copper Company as a shunting engine at Port Nolloth in the Cape Colony.^[3]

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places two Class A 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives in service, designed by Locomotive Superintendent D.A. Hendrie for passenger traffic on the mainline between Ladysmith and Charlestown. In 1912 they will be designated Class 2 on the South African Railways (SAR).^[4]

Transvaal

• The Central South African Railways places two four-cylinder rack tank steam locomotives in service on the section between Waterval Onder and Waterval Boven, but they are underpowered and prove to be failures in rack service.^[5]