1890 in South Africa

Decades:	1870s; 1880s; 1890s; 1900s; 1910s;
See also:	; List of years in South Africa;

The following lists events that happened during 1890 in South Africa.

Incumbents

17 – The first railway line in the Transvaal, known as the Randtram, is opened for service between Boksburg and Braamfontein in Johannesburg.^[1]^: 19^[2]

6 – Magadu Bhambada becomes chief of the AmaZondi people at the age of 25 after the death of his father and uncle.
23 June – President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic institutes a Second Volksraad which is responsible for controlling local matters.^[3]

26 October – Percy Hansen, Danish soldier in British service, recipient of the Victoria Cross. (d. 1951)

1 February – Cape Western – Somerset West to Sir Lowry's Pass Village, 5 miles 20 chains (8.4 kilometres).^[4]
28 March – Natal – Glencoe Junction to Talana, 8 miles 35 chains (13.6 kilometres).^[2]
15 May – Natal – Glencoe Junction to Newcastle, 36 miles 33 chains (58.6 kilometres).^[2]
13 October – Transvaal – Braamfontein to Springs, 30 miles (48.3 kilometres).^[2]
17 November – Transvaal – Braamfontein to Roodepoort, 11 miles (17.7 kilometres).^[2]
1 December – Cape Western – Kalkbaai to Simon's Town, 5 miles 37 chains (8.8 kilometres).^[4]

1 December – Cape Western – Kimberley to Vryburg, 126 miles 61 chains (204.0 kilometres).^[4]
17 December – Cape Midland – Colesberg Junction to Norvalspont bridge, 23 miles 43 chains (37.9 kilometres).^[4]
17 December – Free State – Norvalspont bridge to Bloemfontein, 120 miles 67 chains (194.5 kilometres).^[2]

The Cape Government Railways places twenty 5th Class 4-6-0 tender locomotives in mainline service on its Midland and Western Systems.^[5]^: 39–41^[6]^: 20
The first of four Clara Class 0-6-2 tender locomotives are placed in service by the Cape Copper Company on its 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge Namaqualand Railway between Port Nolloth and O'okiep.^[7]

The Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorwegmaatschappij (NZASM) of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal Republic) places six 18 Tonner saddle-tank locomotives in service on construction work on the Delagoa Bay line.^[5]^{: 110–112}

^ The South African Railways – Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 182, ref. no. 200954-13
^ Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
^ ^a ^b Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.
^ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.
^ Bagshawe, Peter (2012). Locomotives of the Namaqualand Railway and Copper Mines (1st ed.). Stenvalls. pp. 8–11, 16–23. ISBN 978-91-7266-179-0.