High Commissioner for Southern Africa


The British office of high commissioner for Southern Africa was responsible for governing British possessions in Southern Africa, latterly the protectorates Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, as well as for relations with autonomous governments in the area.
The office was combined with that of Governor of Cape Colony from 1847 to 1901, with that of the governor of Transvaal Colony 1901 to 1910, and with that of Governor-General of South Africa from 1910 to 1931. The British government appointed the Governor-General as High Commissioner under a separate commission. In addition to responsibility for Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland, he held reserve powers concerning the interests of the native population of Southern Rhodesia. The post was abolished on 1 August 1964.
NameBeganEnded
Sir Henry Pottinger27 January 18471 December 1847
Sir Harry Smith1 December 184731 March 1852
George Cathcart31 March 185226 May 1854
Charles Henry Darling 26 May 18545 December 1854
Sir George Grey5 December 185415 August 1861
Robert Henry Wynyard 15 August 186115 January 1862
Sir Philip Wodehouse15 January 186220 May 1870
Charles Craufurd Hay 20 May 187031 December 1870
Sir Henry Barkly31 December 187031 March 1877
Sir Bartle Frere31 March 187715 September 1880
Henry Hugh Clifford 15 September 188027 September 1880
Sir George Cumine Strahan 27 September 188022 January 1881
Sir Hercules Robinson22 January 18811 May 1889
Henry Augustus Smyth 1 May 188913 December 1889
Sir Henry Brougham Loch13 December 188930 May 1895
Sir Hercules Robinson 30 May 189521 April 1897
William Goodenough 21 April 18975 May 1897
Sir Alfred Milner5 May 1897May 1905
William Palmer, 2nd Earl of SelborneMay 190531 May 1910
Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson 19091909
The Viscount Gladstone31 May 19108 September 1914
The Viscount Buxton8 September 191417 July 1920
Beresford Cecil Molyneux Carter
3 September 192020 November 1920
Prince Arthur of Connaught20 November 19205 December 1923
Rudolph Bentinck
10 December 192321 January 1924
The Earl of Athlone21 January 192426 January 1931
The Earl of Clarendon26 January 19316 April 1931
Sir Herbert Stanley6 April 19316 January 1935
Sir William Clark7 January 19353 January 1940
Sir Edward Harding3 January 19403 January 1941
Sir Walter Huggard 3 January 194124 May 1941
The Lord Harlech24 May 194113 May 1944
Harold Eddey Priestman 13 May 194423 June 1944
Sir Walter Huggard 23 June 194427 October 1944
Sir Evelyn Baring27 October 19441 October 1951
Sir John Le Rougetel2 October 19512 February 1955
Sir Percivale Liesching4 March 1955December 1958
Sir John Maud15 January 19591963
Sir Hugh Stephenson196331 July 1964

The high commission territories

The high commissioner was responsible for governing the following territories, in each case represented by a resident commissioner: