1873 in South Africa

See also: 1872 in South Africa, other events of 1873, 1874 in South Africa and the Timeline of South African history.

Events

• New Rush is renamed Kimberley
• Griqualand West is established as a British colony
• Gold is discovered in the Lydenburg district of Transvaal
• 1 May – The use of Dutch is officially allowed in the Cape Colony's parliament
  • The first telephone exchange in South Africa is introduced in Port Elizabeth

Births

• 13 August – Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven, playwright, poet, journalist, politician and author of the old South African's anthem "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika", is born near Ladismith in the Cape Colony

Deaths

• 1 May – David Livingstone is found dead on his knees beside his bed at Lake Bangweolo, Zambia