May1 – The Prince of Wales arrives in Cape Town on a visit to South Africa.July23 – Daniel François Malan, Minister of the Interior, introduces the Areas Reservation and Immigration and Registration Bill also known as the Asiatic Bill.Augustus1 – The New Cape Central Railway and its 204 miles 69 chains (329.7 kilometres) long line between Worcester and Voorbaai is taken over by the South African Railways (SAR).Unknown dateAfrikaans officially replaces Dutch as the second language after English.The manor house of Groot Constantia is gutted by a fire.The University of Pretoria starts the tradition of Jool in South Africa.14 April – Colin Wells Eglin, founding member and leader of the Progressive Federal Party, is born in Sea Point, Cape Town. (d. 2013)30 April – Dot Serfontein, author and mother of poet Antjie Krog, is born.4 May – Heloise Ruth First, journalist, academic and activist, is born in Johannesburg.9 January – Willem Johannes Conradie, minister of the Dutch Reformed Church and author of the first children's bible in Afrikaans, dies in Stellenbosch.30 August – Cathcart William Methven, harbour engineer and painter, dies in Pietermaritzburg.21 January – Transvaal – Rustenburg to Boshoek, 15 miles 17 chains (24.5 kilometres).26 May – Transvaal – Magaliesburg to Schoemansville, 33 miles 20 chains (53.5 kilometres).26 June – Natal – Eshowe to Extension, 74 chains (1.5 kilometres).1 September – Transvaal – Ermelo to Lothair, 30 miles 51 chains (49.3 kilometres).25 September – Transvaal – Elandshoek to Solarvale (Narrow gauge), 9 miles 40 chains (15.3 kilometres).1 October – Transvaal – Nylstroom to Vaalwater, 45 miles 62 chains (73.7 kilometres).14 October – Free State – Senekal to Marquard, 29 miles 78 chains (48.2 kilometres).19 October – Cape – Kareevlakte to Ladismith, 46 miles 38 chains (74.8 kilometres).26 November – Free State – Frankfort to Villiers, 19 miles 40 chains (31.4 kilometres).1 December – Cape – Fort Beaufort to Katberg (Narrow gauge), 24 miles 36 chains (39.3 kilometres).Six new Cape gauge locomotive types, five steam and one electric, enter service on the SAR:
The first four Class GD branchline 2-6-2+2-6-2 Garratt articulated locomotives.The first six of eighteen Class GE 2-8-2+2-8-2 Garratt locomotives.A single Class GG 2-6-2+2-6-2 Double Prairie type Garratt on fast mainline passenger service.Two American-built Class 15C 4-8-2 Mountain type steam locomotives.The first two of seven Class 16D 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger locomotives.The first of altogether 172 Class 1E electric locomotives, spread over seven orders, the first mainline electric locomotive to be introduced in South Africa. 