June
21 – The Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) is floated.
21 – Zululand becomes a British colony.
Unknown date
The town of Boksburg is laid out to serve the surrounding gold mines.
The Stellenbosch Gymnasium, later to become the Stellenbosch University, changes its name to Victoria College, after Queen Victoria.
29 May – Xhosa chief Sandile is killed in Denge Forest in a skirmish with the Fingos under the command of Captain J. Lonsdale.
Construction begins on the Delagoa Bay-Pretoria line.
October – Cape Central – Worcester to Roodewal, 42 miles (67.6 kilometres).
The Lourenco Marques, Delagoa Bay and East Africa Railway in Mozambique places two 4-6-0 tank locomotives in service, one of which will become the Portuguese Tank on the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway in 1897.
1887 in South Africa Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
