The following events happened in South Africa during the year 1887.
Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger.
Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.
June21 – The Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) is floated.21 – Zululand becomes a British colony.Unknown dateThe 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.
