1879 in South Africa

Railway lines opened

• March – Natal – Pinetown to Botha's Hill, 14 miles 6 chains (22.7 kilometres).^[1]
• 11 August – Cape Western – Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road, 52 miles 41 chains (84.5 kilometres).^[2]
• 26 August – Cape Midland – Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet, 72 miles 18 chains (116.2 kilometres).^[2]
• 1 September – Natal – Avoca to Verulam, 12 miles 2 chains (19.4 kilometres).^[1]
• 3 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Grahamstown, 34 miles 71 chains (56.1 kilometres).^[2]
• 17 September – Cape Midland – Alicedale to Middleton, 38 miles 3 chains (61.2 kilometres).^[2]
• 3 November – Cape Eastern – Döhne to Cathcart, 42 miles 48 chains (68.6 kilometres).^[2]

Locomotives

Cape

• Two new 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
  • The first four of fifteen 1st Class 4-4-0 American type passenger locomotives on the Western and Eastern systems.^{[3]: 30–31 [4]}
  • The first six of ten 1st Class 2-6-0 Mogul type goods locomotives on the Western system.^{[3]: 28–30 [4]}
• The Table Bay Harbour Board places its fourth 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge 0-4-0 well-tank engine in excavation and breakwater construction service.^{[5]: 115–117 }

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places seven 2-6-0T locomotives in service, later to be modified to a 4-6-0T wheel arrangement and designated Class G.^[6]
• The Natal Harbours Department in Durban places a single 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotive in service, named John Milne.^{[5]: 126–127 }