The British office of High Commissioner for South Africa was responsible for governing British possessions in Southern Africa

Southern Africa

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...

, latterly the protectorate

Protectorate

In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...

s Basutoland

Basutoland

Basutoland or officially the Territory of Basutoland, was a British Crown colony established in 1884 after the Cape Colony's inability to control the territory...

 (now Lesotho

Lesotho

Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...

), the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

) and Swaziland

Swaziland

Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...

, 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 government in U.K. 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

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...

 

Name	Began	Ended
Sir Henry Pottinger	27 January 1847	1 December 1847
Sir Harry Smith	1 December 1847	31 March 1852
George Cathcart George Cathcart General The Honourable Sir George Cathcart GCB was a British general and diplomat.-Military career:He was born in Renfrewshire, son of William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart. After receiving his education at Eton and in Edinburgh, he was commissioned into the Life Guards in 1810...	31 March 1852	26 May 1854
Charles Henry Darling Charles Henry Darling Sir Charles Henry Darling KCB was a British colonial governor.He was born at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, the son of Major-General Henry Darling and nephew of General Sir Ralph Darling....  (acting)	26 May 1854	5 December 1854
Sir George Grey George Edward Grey Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...	5 December 1854	15 August 1861
Robert Henry Wynyard (acting)	15 August 1861	15 January 1862
Sir Philip Wodehouse	15 January 1862	20 May 1870
Charles Crauford Hay (acting)	20 May 1870	31 December 1870
Sir Henry Barkly Henry Barkly Sir Henry Barkly, GCMG, KCB, FRS, FRGS was a British politician, colonial governor and patron of the sciences.-Early life and education:...	31 December 1870	31 March 1877
Sir Bartle Frere Henry Bartle Frere Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI, was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Frere was born at Clydach House, Clydach, Monmouthshire, the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks...	31 March 1877	15 September 1880
Henry Hugh Clifford Henry Hugh Clifford Major General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford VC KCMG CB was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:Clifford was the third son of Hugh Charles Clifford, 7th...  (acting)	15 September 1880	27 September 1880
Sir George Cumine Strahan (acting)	27 September 1880	22 January 1881
Sir Hercules Robinson Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...	22 January 1881	1 May 1889
Henry Augustus Smyth Henry Augustus Smyth Sir Henry Augustus Smyth , FSA, FRGS, Governor of Malta, general and colonel commandant Royal Artillery, born at St James's Street, London, on 25 November 1825, was third son in the family of three sons and six daughters of Admiral William Henry Smyth by his wife Annarella, only daughter of Thomas...  (acting)	1 May 1889	13 December 1889
Sir Henry Brougham Loch	13 December 1889	30 May 1895
Sir Hercules Robinson Hercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, GCMG, PC was a British colonial administrator who became the 5th Governor of Hong Kong...  (from 1896, the Lord Rosmead)	30 May 1895	21 April 1897
William Goodenough William Goodenough Admiral Sir William Edmund Goodenough GCB, MVO was a senior Royal Navy officer of World War I.-Naval career:Goodenough joined the Royal Navy in 1882. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1905...  (acting)	21 April 1897	5 May 1897
Sir Alfred Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner KG, GCB, GCMG, PC was a British statesman and colonial administrator who played an influential leadership role in the formulation of foreign and domestic policy between the mid-1890s and early 1920s...	5 May 1897	May 1905
Earl of Selborne William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne William Waldegrave Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne KG, GCMG, PC , styled Viscount Wolmer between 1882 and 1895, was a British politician and colonial administrator.-Background and education:...	May 1905	31 May 1910
Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson Walter Hely-Hutchinson Sir Walter Francis Hely-Hutchinson GCMG was an Anglo-Irish diplomat and colonial administrator.-Biography:He was the son of Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 4th Earl of Donoughmore, He attended the University of Cambridge....  (acting, in the absence of Lord Selborne)	1909	1909
The Viscount Gladstone Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone GCB, GCMG, GBE, PC, JP was a British Liberal statesman. The youngest son of William Ewart Gladstone, he was Home Secretary from 1905 to 1910 and Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1914.-Background and education:Gladstone was...	31 May 1910	8 September 1914
The Viscount Buxton Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton Sydney Charles Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton GCMG, PC was a British Liberal politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Background and education:...	8 September 1914	17 July 1920
Beresford Cecil Molyneux Carter  (acting High Commissioner only with Sir James Rose Innes acting Governor General from 17 July 1920)	3 September 1920	20 November 1920
Prince Arthur of Connaught Prince Arthur of Connaught Prince Arthur of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of Queen Victoria. Prince Arthur held the title of a British prince with the style His Royal Highness...	20 November 1920	5 December 1923
Rudolph Bentinck Rudolph Bentinck Admiral Sir Rudolph Walter Bentinck KCB KCMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Bentinck joined the Royal Navy in 1882...   (acting High Commissioner only with Sir James Rose Innes acting Governor General from 5 December 1923)	10 December 1923	21 January 1924
The Earl of Athlone Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...	21 January 1924	26 January 1931
The Earl of Clarendon George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon KG, PC , known as Lord Hyde from 1877 to 1914, was a British Conservative politician...	26 January 1931	6 April 1931
Sir Herbert Stanley Herbert Stanley Sir Herbert James Stanley, GCMG was a leading British administrator, who served at different times as Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Ceylon and Southern Rhodesia....	6 April 1931	6 January 1935
Sir William Clark William Clark William Clark was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in prestatehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Missouri...	7 January 1935	3 January 1940
Sir Edward Harding Edward John Harding Sir Edward John Harding GCMG, KCB, MA was a prominent British civil servant and diplomat and former High Commissioner to South Africa.-Early life:...	3 January 1940	3 January 1941
Sir Walter Huggard (acting)	3 January 1941	24 May 1941
The Lord Harlech William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech KG, GCMG, PC , known as William Ormsby-Gore until 1938, was a British Conservative politician and banker.-Background:...	24 May 1941	13 May 1944
Harold Eddey Priestman (acting)	13 May 1944	23 June 1944
Sir Walter Huggard (acting)	23 June 1944	27 October 1944
Sir Evelyn Baring Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale, KG, GCMG, KCVO was Governor of Southern Rhodesia from 1942 to 1944 and Governor of Kenya from 1952 to 1959....	27 October 1944	1 October 1951
Sir John Le Rougetel	2 October 1951	2 February 1955
Sir Percivale Liesching	4 March 1955	December 1958
Sir John Maud	15 January 1959	31 May 1961 Ambassador after this point