January
1 – The South African Railways implements the reclassification and renumbering of the rolling stock of its three constituent Colonial railways, the Cape Government Railways, the Natal Government Railways and the Central South African Railways.
4 – The outbreak of smallpox is reported in the Malay Location, Johannesburg.
8 – The South African Native National Congress is formed in Bloemfontein and John Langalibalele Dube becomes the first president.
16 – Cases of smallpox are discovered in Durban.
February
15 – The Mkuze Game Reserve is proclaimed a protected area.
Unknown date
The shield of the coat of arms on the Red Ensign used in South Africa is redesigned to include a white roundel.
The town of Hobhouse is established and named after Emily Hobhouse.
18 May – Walter Sisulu, South African anti-apartheid activist. (d. 2003)
January – Abdoolla Hajee Adam, founder-president of the Natal Indian Congress.
21 May – Sir Julius Wernher, financier and mine magnate, dies in London at the age of 62. (b. 1850)
7 February – Free State – Jammerdrif to Wepener, 4 miles 7 chains (6.6 kilometres).
15 April – Transvaal – Buhrmannsdrif to Ottoshoop, 11 miles 70 chains (19.1 kilometres).
1 May – Free State – Firham (Transvaal) to Vrede, 44 miles 69 chains (72.2 kilometres).
20 May – Cape – Wolseley to Ceres, 10 miles 29 chains (16.7 kilometres).
1 August – Cape – Malenge to Franklin, 24 miles 49 chains (39.6 kilometres).
4 November – Transvaal – Zeerust to Ottoshoop, 18 miles 72 chains (30.4 kilometres).
9 November – Transvaal – Newington to Tzaneen, 132 miles 21 chains (212.9 kilometres).
2 December – Cape – Schoombee to Hofmeyr, 31 miles 3 chains (50.0 kilometres).
2 December – Cape – Ottery to Dieprivier, 2 miles 50 chains (4.2 kilometres).
16 December – Cape – Bergrivier to Vredenburg (Narrow gauge), 24 miles 48 chains (39.6 kilometres).
20 December – Cape – Melk to Motkop, 10 miles 31 chains (16.7 kilometres).
Five new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
January – A single Class ME 2-6-6-2 simple expansion Mallet articulated locomotive.
Ten Class MC 2-6-6-0 Mallet articulated compound steam locomotives.
Ten Class 3B 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives that had been ordered by the Natal Government Railways the year before.
Four "Enlarged Karoo Class" 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger locomotives that had been ordered by the Cape Government Railways in 1911, designated Class 5.
April – The first eight of forty-six Class 12 4-8-2 Mountain type goods locomotives.
30 November – The South African Springboks beat Ireland 38-0 in Ireland.
