| A.D. |
| Bartholomew Diaz discovers the Cape of Good Hope | 1486 |
| Vasco da Gama explores the East Coast of Africa | 1497-8 |
| The Dutch appear in the South African Seas | 1595 |
| First Dutch settlement in Table Bay | 1652 |
| Arrival of French Huguenot settlers | 1689 |
| Beginning of the Exploration of the Interior | 1700 |
| First Kafir War | 1779 |
| First British occupation of the Cape | 1795-1803 |
| Second British occupation of the Cape | 1806 |
| Cession of Cape Colony to Britain | 1814 |
| Conquests of Tshaka, the Zulu King | 1812-1828 |
| Arrival of a body of British settlers | 1820 |
| First British settlement in Natal | 1824 |
| English made the official language in Cape Colony | 1825-1828 |
| Equal Rights ordinance in favour of the Natives | 1828 |
| Emancipation of the Slaves | 1834 |
| Sixth Kafir War | 1834 |
| Emigration of the discontented Boers (the Great Trek) | 1836-7 |
| Conquest of Matabililand by Mosilikatze | 1837 |
| The emigrant Boers occupy Natal | 1838 |
| British occupation and annexation of Natal | 1843 |
| Two native "buffer States" created in the interior | 1843 |
| Seventh Kafir War; province of British Kaffraria created | 1847 |
| Orange River Sovereignty created | 1848 |
| Recognition of the Independence of the Transvaal Boers (Sand River Convention) | 1852 |
| Recognition of the Independence of the Orange River Boers (Bloemfontein Convention) | 1854 |
| Representative Government established in Cape Colony | 1854 |
| Establishment of a Constitution for the South African Republic | 1855-1858 |
| Proclamation of a Protectorate over Basutoland | 1868 |
| Discovery of diamonds on the Lower Vaal River | 1869 |
| British occupation and annexation of Griqualand West | 1871 |
| Responsible Government granted to Cape Colony | 1872 |
| Delagoa Bay arbitration | 1872-1875 |
| British annexation of the Transvaal | 1877 |
| War with Cetewayo and conquest of Zululand | 1879 |
| Retrocession of the Transvaal | 1881 |
| Annexation of Southern and Protectorate over Northern Bechuanaland | 1884-1885 |
| German occupation of Damaraland | 1884 |
| Convention of London with the Transvaal Republic | 1884 |
| Discovery of the Witwatersrand gold field | 1885 |
| Foundation of the British South Africa Company | 1889 |
| Conquest of Matabililand by the Company | 1893 |
| Responsible Government granted to Natal | 1893 |
| Protectorate declared over the Tonga Chiefs | 1894 |
| Rising at Johannesburg and expedition of Dr. Jameson from Pitsani | 1895 |
| Outbreak of war between Britain and the two Dutch Republics | Oct. 1899 |