← 1910 1909 1908 1911 in South Africa → 1912 1913 1914
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1911 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Gladstone.^[1]
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: John de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers

Events

April

• 18 – Lusitania, a Portuguese 5,557 ton passenger liner, strikes Bellows Rock just off Cape Point en route from Mozambique to Lisbon and sinks. Only 8 out of the 774 people on board lose their lives.
• 22 – A passenger train from Port Alfred derails on the Blaauwkrantz Bridge and plunges into the ravine 200 feet (61 metres) below, killing 31 and seriously injuring 23.^[2][3][4][5]
• 27 – Louis Botha and J.B.M. Hertzog establish the South African Party.^{[citation needed]}

Births

• 8 January – Esther Susanna Mentz, soprano and actress.
• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi, "Ma Ngoyi", dressmaker, political activist and trade unionist.

Deaths

• 4 February – Piet Cronjé, Boer General. (b. 1836)
• 28 May – Ds. S.J. du Toit, pioneer of the Afrikaans language. (b. 1847)
• 23 November – Bernard Tancred, South African cricketer. (b. 1865)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 1 March – Transvaal – India Junction to Alberton, 3 miles 51 chains (5.9 kilometres).^[6]
• 13 April – Natal – Umlaas Road to Mid Illovo (Narrow gauge), 27 miles 35 chains (44.2 kilometres).^[6]
• 11 May – Transvaal – Welverdiend to Lichtenburg, 79 miles 77 chains (128.7 kilometres).^[6]
• 31 May – Cape – Eendekuil to Graafwater, 48 miles 10 chains (77.4 kilometres).^[6]
• 2 July – Transvaal – Welgedag to Modderbee, 6 miles 69 chains (11.0 kilometres).^[6]
• 31 July – Transvaal – Ermelo to Piet Retief, 70 miles 13 chains (112.9 kilometres).^[6]
• 15 August – Transvaal – Pietersburg to Bandelierkop, 71 miles 8 chains (114.4 kilometres).^[6]
• 21 August – Cape – Hopefield to Bergrivier (Narrow gauge), 10 miles 50 chains (17.1 kilometres).^[6]
• 4 September – Free State – Sannaspos to Jammerdrif, 53 miles 60 chains (86.5 kilometres).^[6]

• 7 October – Natal – Merrivale to Howick, 2 miles 36 chains (3.9 kilometres).^[6]
• 8 November – Natal – Port Shepstone to Paddock (Narrow gauge), 24 miles 30 chains (39.2 kilometres).^[6]
• 1 December – Cape – Lady Grey to Melk, 9 miles 77 chains (16.0 kilometres).^[6]
• 2 December – Free State – Bethlehem to Reitz, 35 miles 45 chains (57.2 kilometres).^[6]
• 4 December – Transvaal – Coligny to Delareyville, 61 miles 40 chains (99.0 kilometres).^[6]

Locomotives

Cape

• The Cape Government Railways places two 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotives in service. In 1912 they will be designated Class 4 on the South African Railways (SAR).^[7][8]

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places the first two of seven 4-6-2 Pacific narrow gauge tank steam locomotives in service. On the SAR they will become the Class NG4.^[8]

Transvaal

Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Central South African Railways (CSAR):

• Nine 2-6-6-2 Mallet articulated compound steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class MF by the SAR.^[7][8]
• A single experimental 2-6-6-2 Mallet. In 1912 it will become the sole Class MG on the SAR.^[7][8]