1902 in South Africa

Cape Colony

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope: Walter Hely-Hutchinson.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.

Natal

• Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Edward McCallum.
• Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal: Albert Henry Hime.

Orange Free State / Orange River Colony

• State President of the Orange Free State: Martinus Theunis Steyn (until 31 May).
• Governor of the Orange River Colony and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner.
• Lieutenant-Governor of the Orange River Colony: Hamilton Goold-Adams.

South African Republic / Transvaal

• State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger (until 31 May) (in exile); Schalk Willem Burger (acting until 31 May).
• Governor of the Transvaal and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner.
• Lieutenant-Governor of the Transvaal: Sir Arthur Lawley.

Railway lines opened

• 1 May – Free State – Bloemfontein to Sannaspos, 21 miles 41 chains (34.6 kilometres).^[3]
• 18 July – Natal – Tugela to Mhlatuze, 44 miles 22 chains (71.3 kilometres).^[3]
• 1 August – Cape Midland – Cookhouse to Somerset East, 19 miles 35 chains (31.3 kilometres).^[4]
• 1 August – Cape Midland – Klipplaat to Willowmore, 62 miles (99.8 kilometres).^[4]
• 1 August – Cape Western – Sir Lowry's Pass Village to Caledon, 51 miles 75 chains (83.6 kilometres).^[4]
• 15 November – Cape Western – Moorreesburg to Eendekuil, 49 miles 43 chains (79.7 kilometres).^[4]

Locomotives

Cape

• Four new Cape gauge and three narrow gauge locomotive types enter service on the Cape Government Railways (CGR):
  • Fourteen 6th Class bar framed 4-6-0 passenger steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class 6J on the South African Railways (SAR).^[5][6]
  • The last ten 7th Class 4-8-0 Mastodon type locomotives on the Eastern System. In 1912 they will be designated Class 7C on the SAR.^[5][6]
  • The first thirteen of twenty-three 8th Class 4-8-0 Mastodon locomotives on the Western, Midland and Eastern Systems. In 1912 they will be designated Class 8 on the SAR.^[5][6]
  • A single experimental 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type tandem compound steam locomotive, in 1912 designated Class Experimental 2 on the SAR.^[6][7]
  • Three Type A 2-6-0 Mogul type steam locomotives, later to become Class NG7 on the SAR, on the Hopefield narrow gauge branchline that is being constructed from Kalbaskraal.^[6]
  • Two Type A 2-6-4T Adriatic type narrow gauge locomotives on construction service on the new Avontuur branch that is being built out of Port Elizabeth through the Langkloof.^[6]
  • A single Type C 0-4-0 narrow gauge tank steam locomotive named Midget on the Avontuur branch.^[6][8]
• Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service with the East London and Table Bay Harbour Boards:
  • Two 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives enter shunting service at the East London Harbour.^[6][7]
  • Eleven 2-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives enter harbour shunting service in Table Bay Harbour.^[6][7]

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places ten Class F 4-6-4 Baltic type tank steam locomotives in service, the first known locomotive in the world to be designed and built as a Baltic. In 1912 they will be designated Class E on the SAR.^[5]
• The Natal Harbours Department places a single saddle-tank locomotive named Congella in service as harbour shunter in Durban Harbour.^[7]
• The Zululand Railway Company, contractors for the construction of the North Coast line from Verulam to the Tugela River, acquires two 2-6-0 Mogul type tender locomotives as construction engines, later to be designated Class I on the NGR.^[5]

Transvaal

• The Imperial Military Railways places forty Cape 8th Class 4-8-0 Mastodon type steam locomotives in service. In 1912 they will be designated Class 8A on the SAR.^[5]