| From | To | Event |
| 1843 | | Natal annexed as a British Colony. |
| 1843 | | Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Richmond. |
| 1844.04 | | Boers from Natal settle at Potchefstroom, after crossing the Drakensberg Mountains. Hendrik Potgieter settles at Delagoa Bay. |
| 1844 | | Access to land is changed from leasehold to free hold |
| 1844 | | Victoria West established |
| 1845 | | Mothibi of Tlhaping dies |
| 1845 | | Dutch Reformed Church parish founded at Mossel Bay. Ohrigstad founded. Natal becomes autonomous district of Cape Colony. |
| 1845 | | Battle of Zwartkoppies. |
| 1846 | 1854. | Orange River Sovereignty |
| 1846 | | Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Burgersdorp. Bloemfontein founded. |
| 1846 | 1848. | Seventh Frontier War between Xhosa and whites, this war was also known as the War of the Axe. |
| 1846 | 1847. | Approximately 103 settlers arrive in Port Elizabeth from war-torn Buenos Aires, Argentinia. |
| 1847 | | Colonial boundary extended to Orange River |
| 1847 | | Rhenish Missionary Christoph Alheit moves to Schietfontein (Carnarvon) |
| 1847 | | Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Calvinia. Opening of Montagu Pass. Sugar cane plantations started in Natal. East London founded. Districts of Victoria East and British Kaffraria annexed as part of the Cape Colony. |
| 1848.03.23 | | Approximately 163 German settlers, known as the Bergthiel Settlers, arrive in Natal. |
| 1848 | | Boers cross the Vaal River. Orange River Sovereignty established. Battle of Boomplaats. |
| 1848 | | Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Napier. Soutpansberg (later Schoemansdal) founded. |
| 1849 | | Circa 1849 the first Jewish Congregation founded in Cape Town. |
| 1849 | 1850. | The Byrne Settlers arrive in Natal. |
| 1850 | 1859. | First Afrikaans book written by an imam (Muslim prayer leader) of slave descent |
| 1850 | | Wesleyan Settlers arrive in Natal. Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Namaqualand. |
| 1850 | 1853. | Eighth Frontier War. |
| 1851 | | Sugar first produced from cane in Natal. |
| 1852 | | Copper mining in Namaqualand - migrant labour on small scale |
| 1852 | | The Transvaal Republic established. Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Middelburg. The New Church (Congregational / Presbyterian) established in Port Elizabeth. Copper mining begins at Springbokfontein. Wreck of the Birkenhead. |
| 1853 | | Hopetown established |
| 1853 | | Nicholas Waterboer succeeds as Griqua Captain |
| 1853 | | Settlement of Queenstown and Seymour. Union Steamship Line founded. |
| 1854 | | Orange Free State Republic proclaimed |
| 1854 | | Dutch Reformed Church parishes established in Montagu and Queenstown. First Cape Colony Parliament. Boers defeat Ndebele at Makapansgat. |
| 1854 | | Crimean War |
| 1855 | | Pretoria founded. 20 Irish miners arrive to work in the Namaqualand copper mines. |
| 1856 | | The Anglican St. Paul's Church in Port Elizabeth founded. Approximately 3000 Crimean War veterans (German Legionaires) settled in Kaffraria, later joined by 2700 German civilians. Dutch Reformed Church parish founded in Murraysburg. |
| 1856 | | Natal becomes a seperate colony. |
| 1856 | 1857. | Self-destruction of Xhosa tribe by cattle-killing. |
| 1856 | 1862. | Approximately 700 juveniles arrive from Holland. |
| 1857 | | Moffat completes Old Testament Bible translation into Setswana |
| 1857 | | Xhosa enter Karoo following Eastern Cape Cattle Killing. |
| 1857 | | Approximately 157 Irish girls arrive on the ship Lady Kennaway, settle in British Kaffraria. First Legislative Council in Natal. First mail contract with Union Steamship Company for regular mail service between Britain and South Africa. |
| 1857 | 1862. | Assisted immigration schemes bring about 12 000 settlers. |
| 1858 | | Circa 1858, Jewish congregation founded in Port Elizabeth. The Anglican Holy Trinity Church built in Port Elizabeth. War between Orange Free State and Basuto tribe. |
| 1859 | | Dopper Church leaves the Dutch Reformed Church. First railway in the Cape Colony commenced. |
| 1860 | | Boer republics north of Vaal unite as South African Republic |
| 1860 | | Indians arrive in Natal to work on sugar cane farms as indentured labourers. Between 1860-1911 about 152 000 Indians arrive and about 50% stay. |
| 1860 | | First telegraph service in South Africa, between Cape Town and Simonstown. |
| 1860.06.26 | | First railway in South Africa, between Market Square and Point, Durban, opens. |
| 1860 | | Start of penny post in Cape Town. Work began on Table Bay Docks. The Catholic St. Augustine's Church established in Port Elizabeth.Circa 1860, the first Baptist Church started in Port Elizabeth. |
| 1861 | 1862. | Griqua trek under Adam Kok III from Philippolis to Nomansland |
| 1861 | | American Civil War |
| 1863 | | The Hill Presbyterian Church started in Port Elizabeth. |
| 1863 | | North End Cemetery started in Port Elizabeth. |
| 1864 | | St. George's Cemetery established in Port Elizabeth. |
| 1865 | 1866. | Albania Settlement Scheme |
| 1865 | | Ostriches first domesticated. |
| 1865 | 1866. | Economic depression throughout South Africa. War between Orange Free State and Basutos. |
| 1866 | | India officially stops sending Indian labourers to Natal. |
| 1867.04 | | 21.25 carat diamond found near Hopetown. |
| 1868 | 1869. | Korana War along Orange River |
| 1869 | | Railway from Port Nolloth to O'Kiep |
| 1869 | | Star of South Africa diamond discovered. Gold and diamond rush starts. |
| 1870 | | Galeshewe of Tlhaping born |
| 1870 | 1884. | |Xam prisoners at Cape Town interviewed by Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd |
| 1870 | 1871. | The Anglican St. Peter's Church started in Port Elizabeth. |
| 1870 | | Opening of Cape Town Docks. |
| 1871 | | Diamonds found at New Rush; renamed Kimberley; 1873. Griqua claim to Diamond Fields recognised and Waterboer seeks British protection. Diamond mining stimulates migrant labour on unprecedented scale. Two thirds of black workforce comes from Limpopo valley |
| 1871 | | Gold discovered in Eastern Transvaal. Britain annexes the diamond fields of Kimberley and Griqua West. First mail from Cape Town to the diamond fields. |
| 1873 | | Griqualand West proclaimed Crown Colony |
| 1873 | | Griqualand West established as a British colony. Gold discovered in Lydenburg district of Transvaal. |
| 1873 | 1875. | Approximately 3300 men, women and children arrive as agricultural settlers or labourers for public works. |
| 1874 | | College founded at Stellenbosch (later Victoria College, today University of Stellenbosch). Railway line opened from Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage. |
| 1875 | | Black Flag Rebellion by white diggers at Kimberley |
| 1875 | | Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners (Association for True Afrikaners) formed |
| 1876 | | Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje born |
| 1877 | | "Native Locations" for Tswana established in Griqualand West |
| 1877 | | Britain annexes the Transvaal Republic. Ninth Frontier War. |
| 1878 | 1879. | Griqualand West Rebellion and Korana War coincide with similar conflicts elsewhere in South Africa. |
| 1878 | 1879. | Griqualand West and Tswana Rebellion |
| 1878 | | Koegas atrocities |
| 1878 | | Walvis Bay proclaimed British territory. Telegraph service between Natal and Transvaal. |
| 1879.09.01 | | Zulu War starts, battles at Isandhlwana, Rorke's Drift and Ulundi. |
| 1880 | | Griqualand West annexed to Cape Colony |
| 1880 | | First Legislative Council in Transvaal. Formation of De Beers Company. Formation of the Afrikander Bond. |
| 1880 | 1881. | First Anglo-Boer War, Boers defeat Britain. |
| 1881 | | Jantje Mothibi of Tlhaping dies |
| 1881 | 1882. | Tswana-Kora wars with white mercenary involvement |
| 1881 | | Battle of Laing's Nek, 28 January. Battle of Majuba, 27 February. Britain recognises South African Republic (ZAR). |
