South Africa Genealogy

Africa South Africa

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Getting Started with South Africa Research
New! Join a Genealogy Research Community for South Africa on


 * NEW! Three classes on research in South Africa are now available for viewing online. They are as follows: South Africa: Beginning Research South Africa: National Archives South Africa: FamilySearch Online Collections
 * South Africa Resources and help pages on RootsChat South Africa Resources and help pages. (Free).

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 * A Research Guide for Beginners of South African research by Rosemary Dixon-Smith
 * Tracing Your South Africa Roots (Information on how to research your genealogy and family history in South Africa)
 * South African genealogy research procedures and sources blog
 * South Africa, Cape Province Dutch Reformed Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * South Africa, Orange Free State, Estate Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Jurisdictions in South Africa
South Africa is divided into 9 provinces.

Wikipedia provides general information about each province

From 1910 to 1994, South Africa had four provinces: the Transvaal and Orange Free State, Natal and the Cape.

History of South Africa
Listen to the tutorial at FamilySearch Learning Center on"The South African Empire" by Dr. Anne Samson.

History of South Africa

South African History Online

History of South Africa from the early European Settlement through the 1990s.

1820 British Settlers in South Africa

Jewish Records

 * Researching South Africa Jewish Genealogy

Useful Websites

 * British Concentration Camps
 * Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 Records
 * Vital Records--Obtaining Death Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Birth Certificates
 * Ordering death notice copies for South Africa through a local Family Search Center
 * Ancestry24 ( no longer exists)
 * Colonial Office Transcripts
 * South African Passenger Lists
 * 1820 Settlers
 * South African Settlers
 * Gravestones in South Africa
 * South Africa Family History Information on the Internet

More web sites

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