← 1915 1914 1913 1916 in South Africa → 1917 1918 1919
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1916 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Buxton.^[1]
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes

Events

February

• 12 – In the Battle of Salaita Hill, South African and other British Empire troops fail to take a German East African defensive position.

July

• 14-16 – During the Battle of Delville Wood, 766 men from the South African Brigade are killed in South Africa's biggest loss in the First World War.

September

• 4 – Dar es Salaam surrenders to British Empire forces.

Births

• 12 January – P.W. Botha, politician, Prime Minister and State President. (d. 2006)
• 15 January – Rachel Alida de Toit, actor who performed under the name Lydia Lindeque. (d. 1997)^[2]
• 28 March – Abraham Manie Adelstein, South African-born Chief Medical Statistician of the United Kingdom. (d. 1992)
• 1 July – Thomas Hamilton-Brown, boxer. (d. 1981)

Deaths

• 5 June – The Earl Kitchener, British military commander during the Second Boer War. (b. 1850)
• 28 November – Martinus Theunis Steyn, last State President of the Orange Free State. (b. 1857)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 18 February – Transvaal – Morgenzon to Amersfoort, 27 miles 72 chains (44.9 kilometres).^[3]
• 25 May – Natal – Boughton to Cedara deviation, 11 miles 65 chains (19.0 kilometres).^[3]
• 5 June – Transvaal – Volksrust to Amersfoort, 50 miles 37 chains (81.2 kilometres).^[3]
• 30 June – Free State – Aliwal North (Cape) to Zastron, 55 miles 33 chains (89.2 kilometres).^[3]
• 31 July – Free State – Vierfontein to Bothaville, 23 miles 6 chains (37.1 kilometres).^[3]
• 18 September – Cape – Idutywa to Umtata, 71 miles 13 chains (114.5 kilometres).^[3]
• 2 October – Cape – Williston to Kootjieskolk, 38 miles 57 chains (62.3 kilometres).^[3]
• 18 October – Transvaal – Delareyville to Pudimoe (Cape), 79 miles 2 chains (127.2 kilometres).^[3]

• November – Cape – Ascot to Tygerberg, 1 mile (1.6 kilometres).^[3]
• 24 November – Natal – Donnybrook to Underberg, 38 miles 69 chains (62.5 kilometres).^[3]

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places six Class NG10 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotives in service on the Langkloof narrow gauge line.^[4]