Country history · Africa

History of South Africa

54 recorded states lay in what is now South Africa, from the Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1075 CE) to the Republic of South Africa. 6 of them have a full profile, and 3 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)15 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

11th century

  1. Kingdom of Mapungubwe1075 CE – 1220 CE · kingdom

16th century

  1. Bahurutshe Chiefdom1500 CE – 1852 CE · chiefdom
  2. Thembu Kingdom1500 CE – 1885 CE · kingdom
  3. Tembe Kingdom1550 CE – 1895 CE · kingdom

17th century

  1. Lobedu Kingdom1600 CE – 1894 CE · kingdom
  2. Mpondo Kingdom1600 CE – 1894 CE · kingdom
  3. Mpondomise Kingdom1600 CE – 1880 CE · kingdom
  4. Xhosa Kingdom1600 CE – 1775 CE · kingdom
  5. Ndzundza Ndebele Kingdom1650 CE – 1883 CE · kingdom
  6. Pedi Kingdom1650 CE – 1879 CE · kingdom
  7. Dutch Cape Colony1652 CE – 1806 CE · colony

18th century

  1. Barolong Chiefdom1700 CE – 1885 CE · chiefdom
  2. Hlubi Chiefdom1700 CE – 1873 CE · chiefdom
  3. Qwabe Chiefdom1700 CE – 1818 CE · chiefdom
  4. Venda Kingdom1700 CE – 1898 CE · kingdom
  5. Batlhaping Chiefdom1750 CE – 1885 CE · chiefdom
  6. Gcaleka Xhosa Kingdom1775 CE – 1885 CE · kingdom
  7. Rharhabe Xhosa Kingdom1775 CE – 1847 CE · kingdom
  8. Mthethwa Paramountcy1780 CE – 1818 CE · chiefdom
  9. Ndwandwe Kingdom1780 CE – 1826 CE · kingdom
  10. Cape Colony1795 CE – 1910 CE · profile
  11. Graaff-Reinet Republic1795 CE – 1796 CE · republic
  12. Swellendam Republic1795 CE – 1795 CE · republic

19th century

  1. Batlokwa Chiefdom1800 CE – 1853 CE · chiefdom
  2. Griqualand West1813 CE – 1871 CE · chiefdom
  3. Zulu Kingdom1816 CE – 1887 CE · profile
  4. Basotho Kingdom1822 CE – 1868 CE · kingdom
  5. Ndebele Kingdom1823 CE – 1894 CE · kingdom
  6. Philippolis Griqua State1826 CE – 1861 CE · chiefdom
  7. Thaba Nchu1833 CE – 1884 CE · chiefdom
  8. Province of Queen Adelaide1835 CE – 1836 CE · colony
  9. Republic of Winburg1837 CE – 1848 CE · republic
  10. Potchefstroom Republic1838 CE – 1852 CE · republic
  11. Natalia Republic1839 CE – 1843 CE · republic
  12. Natal Colony1843 CE – 1910 CE · colony
  13. British Kaffraria1847 CE – 1866 CE · colony
  14. Orange River Sovereignty1848 CE – 1854 CE · colony
  15. Zoutpansberg Republic1849 CE – 1864 CE · republic
  16. South African Republic1852 CE – 1902 CE · profile
  17. Orange Free State1854 CE – 1902 CE · profile
  18. Republic of Utrecht1854 CE – 1858 CE · republic
  19. Republic of Lydenburg1856 CE – 1860 CE · republic
  20. Griqualand East1862 CE – 1879 CE · chiefdom
  21. Griqualand West Colony1873 CE – 1880 CE · colony
  22. Goshen1882 CE – 1885 CE · republic
  23. Stellaland1882 CE – 1885 CE · republic
  24. Nieuwe Republiek1884 CE – 1888 CE · republic
  25. British Bechuanaland1885 CE – 1895 CE · colony
  26. Klein Vrystaat1886 CE – 1891 CE · republic
  27. Zululand (British colony)1887 CE – 1897 CE · colony

20th century

  1. Orange River Colony1902 CE – 1910 CE · colony
  2. Transvaal Colony1902 CE – 1910 CE · colony
  3. Union of South Africa1910 CE – 1961 CE · profile
  4. Republic of South Africa1961 CE – present · profile

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Central and Southern Africa → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of South Africa. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-africa
MLA
“History of South Africa.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-africa. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of South Africa.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-africa.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of South Africa’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/south-africa (Accessed: ).