Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:South Africa

See a list of abbreviations used in this list. See also our listing of current ecclesial jurisdictions.

1514: Funchal (established by the Portuguese, see footnote) - Portugal
1533: Goa (detached from Funchal) - India
1558: Cochin (detached from Goa) - India
1558: Malacca (detached from Goa) - Malaysia
1606: São Tomé of Meliapore (detached from Cochin) - India
1612: Moçambique (AA, detached from São Tomé of Meliapore) - (Portuguese East Africa) Mozambique
1712: Islands of the Indian Ocean (AP, detached from Malacca) - Indian Ocean
1772: Isle-de-France (AP, detached from Bourbon AP) - Mauritius
1818: Cape of Good Hope and Adjacent Territories (AV, and new name, previously Isle-de-France AP, also territories from Moçambique [Prel.]) - Mauritius, Madagascar, South Africa, etc.
[This jurisdiction was in fact never established locally]
1819: Mauritius (AV, new name, previously Cape of Good Hope and Adjacent Territories AV) - Mauritius, Madagascar, South Africa, etc.
Failed attempt:
1798: Mission covering the area from Cape of Good Hope, to Japan, Australia and adjacent Islands, attempted established. The attempt never came to anything.
(1806: The area of South Africa becomes dependent of the Ap. Vicariate of England; detached from São Tomé [covering coast northwest of the Cape] and from Mozambique [Prel., covering coast east of the Cape]]) - South Africa
1837: Cape of Good Hope (AV, detached from Mauritius) - South Africa
1847: Cape of Good Hope - Eastern District (AV, new name, previously Cape of Good Hope) - (Cape Colony) South Africa
1847: Cape of Good Hope - Western District (AV, detached from Cape of Good Hope AV) - South Africa
1850: Natal (AV, detached from Cape of Good Hope - Eastern District) - (Natal) South Africa
1874: Cape of Good Hope - Central District (AP, detached from Cape of Good Hope - Western District) - (Cape Colony) South Africa
1885: Orange River (AP, detached from Cape of Good Hope - Central District AP) - (Orange Free State) South Africa
1886: Kimberley in Orange (AP, detached from Cape Town - Eastern District AV, and from Natal AV) - (Orange Free State) South Africa
1886: Transvaal (AP, detached from Natal AV) - (South African Republic) South Africa
1898: Orange River (AV) - (Orange Free State) South Africa
1904: Transvaal (AV) - (Transvaal) South Africa
1910: Northern Transvaal (AP, detached from Transvaal AV) - South Africa
1918: Kimberley in South Africa (AP, new name, previously Kimberley in Orange AP) - South Africa
1921: Mariannhill (AV, detached from Natal AV) - South Africa
1921: Zululand (AP, detached from Natal AV) - South Africa
1923: Eshowe (AV, and new name, previously Zululand AP) - South Africa
1923: Gariep (AP, detached from Cape of Good Hope - Eastern District) - South Africa
1923: Kroonstad (AP, detached from Kimberley in South Africa) - South Africa
1923: Lydenburg (AP, detached from Transvaal AV) - South Africa
1928: Queenstown (Mission "sui iuris", detached from Cape of Good Hope - Eastern District) - South Africa
1930: Umtata (AP, detached from Marianhill) - South Africa
1935: Kroonstad (AV) - South Africa
1935: Mount Currie (AP, detached from Mariannhill) - South Africa
1936: Aliwal (AV, and new name, previously Gariep AP) - South Africa
1937: Umtata (AV) - South Africa
1938: Queenstown (AP) - South Africa
1939: Cape Town (AV, new name, Cape of Good Hope - Western District AV) - South Africa
1939: Kokstad (AV, and new name, previously Mount Currie AP) - South Africa
1939: Oudtshoorn (AP, and new name, previously Cape of Good Hope - Central District, AP) - South Africa
1939: Pietersburg (Abb., and new name, previously Northern Transvaal AP) - South Africa
1939: Port Elizabeth (AV, new name, previously Cape of Good Hope - Eastern District AV) - South Africa
1940: Keimoes (AV, new name, previously Orange River AV) - South Africa
1948: Johannesburg (AV, new name, previously Transvaal AV) - South Africa
1948: Lydenburg (AV) - South Africa
1948: Oudtshoorn (AV) - South Africa
1948: Queenstown (AV) - South Africa
1948: Bethlehem (AV, detached from Kroonstad) - South Africa
1948: Pretoria (AV, detached from Transvaal, and from Kimberley in South Africa) - South Africa
1951: Aliwal - South Africa
1951: Bethlehem - South Africa
1951: Bloemfontein (Metr., detached from AV Aliwal, and from AV Kimberley) - South Africa
1951: Cape Town (Metr.) - South Africa
1951: Durban (Metr. and new name, previously Natal AV) - South Africa
1951: Eshowe - South Africa
1951: Johannesburg - South Africa
1951: Keimoes - South Africa
1951: Kimberley (D, and new name, previously Kimberley in South Africa AP) - South Africa
1951: Kokstad - South Africa
1951: Kroonstad - South Africa
1951: Lydenburg - South Africa
1951: Mariannhill - South Africa
1951: Oudtshoorn - South Africa
1951: Port Elizabeth - South Africa
1951: Pretoria (Metr.) - South Africa
1951: Queenstown - South Africa
1951: Umtata - South Africa
1951: South Africa (Mil.Ord.) - South Africa
1953: De Aar (AP, detached from Aliwal) - South Africa
1954: Umzimkulu (detached from Mariannhill) - South Africa
1958: Volksrust (AP, detached from Lydenburg, from Bremersdorp, and from Durban) - South Africa
1962: Ingwavuma (AP, detached from Manzini, and from Eshowe) - South Africa
1962: Louis Trichardt (AP, detached from Pietersburg) - South Africa
1964: Lydenburg-Witbank (new name, previously Lydenburg) - South Africa
1965: Western Transvaal (AP, detached from Johannesburg) - South Africa
1967: De Aar - South Africa
1971: Rustenburg (AP, detached from Pretoria) - South Africa
1972: Louis Trichardt-Tzaneen (D, and new name, previously Louis Trichardt AP) - South Africa
1978: Klerksdorp (D, and new name, previously Western Transvaal AP) - South Africa
1982: Dundee (D, and new name, previously Volksrust AP) - South Africa
1985: Keimoes-Upington (new name, previously Keimoes) - South Africa
1987: Rustenburg - South Africa
1987: Tzaneen (new name, previously Louis Trichardt-Tzaneen) - South Africa
1987: Witbank (new name, previously Lydenburg-Witbank) - South Africa
1988: Pietersburg - South Africa
1990: Ingwavuma (AV) - South Africa
2007: Johannesburg (Metr., previously part of the Metropolitan province of Pretoria)- South Africa