1652 : The Dutch establish the port of Cape Town 1835 : The Great Trek 1852 : The British take control of Cape Town 1886 : Gold is discovered in Johannesburg 1910 : Birth of the South Africa Union, member on the Commonwealth 1948 : Apartheid is introduced 1952 : The African National Congress (ANC) begins a campaign to protest against apartheid. Nelson Mandela is one of its leaders. 1962 : Mandela is arrested 1976 : Uprising in Soweto 1990 : President F.W De Klerk announces the end of apartheid. Mandela is freed from prison 1992 : Official end of apartheid 1993 : De Klerk and Mandela are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 1994 : First democratic elections. Mandela is elected president 1999 : Mandela steps down as president. Thabo Mbeki is elected 2004 : The ANC wins the election. Thabo Mbeki begins his second term as president 2008 : Kgalema Mothlante is elected president after Thabo Mbeki resigned
De 1400 à 1499 : Zulu and Xhosa tribes establish large kingdoms in the South African region De 1899 à 1902 : Boer war. Britain eventually gains control of South Africa