← 1870 1869 1868 1871 in South Africa → 1872 1873 1874
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1871 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Sir Henry Barkly.
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Robert William Keate.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.^[1]
• State President of the South African Republic:
  • Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (until 20 November).^[2]
  • Daniel Jacobus Erasmus (acting from 21 November).^[2]

Events

October

• 27 – British forces march into the Klipdrift Republic and annex the territory as Griqualand West Colony.

November

• 21 – Daniel Jacobus Erasmus becomes acting State President of the South African Republic.^[2]

Unknown date

• Gold is discovered at Pilgrim's Creek in the Pilgrim's Rest area.
• When an 83.50 carats (16.700 g) diamond is discovered, a diamond rush results and the town of New Rush springs up.

Births

• 9 January – Eugène Marais, lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer. (d. 1936)
• 7 April – Charlotte Maxeke, religious leader, social worker and political activist. (d. 1939)

Deaths

• 4 October – Sarel Cilliers, Voortrekker leader and preacher. (b. 1801)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 18 February – Namaqualand – Port Nolloth to Muishondfontein, 44 miles 40 chains (71.6 kilometres).^[3]

Locomotives

• Two 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge 0-6-0 tank locomotives are placed in service by the Cape of Good Hope Copper Mining Company, the first steam locomotives to enter service on the hitherto mule-powered Namaqualand Railway between Port Nolloth and the Namaqualand copper mines around O'okiep in the Cape Colony.^[3]