Africa map

South Africa Imperialism

  • Feb 24, 1480

    Bartholomeu Dias

    Bartholomeu Dias
    Portuguese navigator who was the first European to travel round the southern tip of Africa
  • Feb 24, 1497

    Vasco da Gama

    Vasco da Gama
    Portuguese explorer who lands on Natal coast. This opened up a network for trade to the Indian Ocean.
  • Jan van Riebeeck

    Jan van Riebeeck
    Discovered the Cape Colony of Table Bay with the East India Trading Company. Established a supply base at this point. Settlers settled on the land creating the Cape Colony.
  • British forces seize Cape Colony

    British forces seize Cape Colony
  • Boers leave Cape colony in the great trek

    Boers leave Cape colony in the great trek
    On this "Great Trek" the Boers founded the Orange Free State and the Transvaal
  • British grant limited self government to the Transvaal

    British grant limited self government to the Transvaal
  • Diamonds discovered

    Diamonds discovered
    Diamonds discovered at Kimberley. This attracted many settlers in a sort if "diamond rush". This made the population to 50,000 within five years. The discovery ended the isolation of the Boers and changed South African history.
  • Britain annexes the Transvaal

    Britain annexes the Transvaal
    Sir Theophilus Shepstone, the British Secretary for Native Affairs in Natal, convinced the Transvaal government to accept British annexation. He also convinced people that the Zulu posed a threat to the peace.
  • Boers rebel against the British

    Boers rebel against the British
    The boers were the farmers. This sparks the first Anglo-Boer War in the Transvaal. This conflict ends with a negotiated peace.
  • Gold discovered at "White Water Ridge"

    Gold discovered at "White Water Ridge"
    Contained the largest deposit of gold.
  • Anglo-Boer War

    Anglo-Boer War
    Boer Republican commandos attacked Natal and Cape Colony
  • Formation of Union of South Africa

    Formation of Union of South Africa
    This was formed by the former British colonies of the Cape and Natal, and the Boer republics of Transvaal, and Orange Free State.
  • African National Congress

    African National Congress
    The Native National Congress was founded, later renamed the African National Congress (ANC)
  • Land Act introduced

    Land Act introduced
    This was introduced to prevent blacks, except thise living in Cape province, from buying land outside reserves.
  • Supports Allies

    Supports Allies
    South Africa supported the Allied nations during World War One
  • Population Registration Act .

    Population Registration Act .
    Population Registration Act authorizes racial classification in South Africa. Each person in South Africa must register according to what race they are. This is because of the system of apartheid.
  • First fully democratic election

    First fully democratic election
    The dismantling of apartheid began in 1990. But in 1994, this signaled the absolute end of the apartheid segregation system in South Africa