The South African Republic was an independent and internationally recognised state in what is now South Africa, from 1852 to 1902.

Who founded Transvaal?

The Orange Free State and the Transvaal (officially the South African Republic) were independent countries in southern Africa in the 19th century established largely by Dutch/Afrikaans-speaking settlers known as the Boers (Boer translates to “farmer” in Dutch).

How old is Transvaal?

The Transvaal region is known to have been inhabited from about 1 200 years ago, by Venda and Sotho peoples. In 1817, the region was invaded by tribes pushed from their land by the Zulu king Shaka and his Impis. This made the region very weak, and easy to colonize by the nearby European settlers.