15th century in South Africa

15th century in South Africa
13th 14th « 15th » 16th century 1600s

Years in South Africa

Events

1480s

In 1487-87 Bartolomeu Dias (or Bartholomew Dias) a Portuguese navigator sailed south along the coast of Southern Africa as far as the Orange River, was blown out to sea and made landfall at Mossel Bay and Algoa Bay. But at the Fish River his men refused to go any further. He sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, named by either Dias or his patron, King John II of Portugal for the “great hope it gave of discovering the Indies”.[1]

1490s

In 1497-99 Vasco da Gama a Portuguese navigator sighted land at St. Helena Bay, doubled the Cape, passed up the coast of Natal at Christmastide and named it, and reached Arab Mozambique. He had discovered a route to India. His patron was the successor to John II, Manuel the Fortunate.[2]

References

  1. Walker p14
  2. Walker p15

See Years in South Africa for additional References