As the British Invasion of Cape Colony continues against the Dutch, the British navy seizes the prized bounty of five Dutch East India Company merchant ships at anchor at Simon's Town.

The first European to cross the Sahara Desert north to south, Alexander Gordon Laing, arrives in Timbuktu. The Scotsman left Tripoli on 16 July. He was wounded in 24 places and lost a hand when his caravan was attacked by Tuareg raiders. Two days after departing Timbuktu on 24 September he will again encounter Tuareg raiders. This time they will kill him.

Shoshangane, King of the Empire of Gaza (Mozambique), at his royal compound in Chaimite on the Lompopo River (pic) receives a delegation from Portugal seeking a treaty of friendship. Sensing such a treaty is a trap to begin Portugal’s colonisation of his people, Shoshangane says no.

Teenage Clancy Brown arrives with his African-American family in Monrovia, after being freed from their slavery in the U.S. upon the death of their slave owner, who in his will paid for their passage to Liberia. In this colony he will work in commerce before his appointment as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Liberian Senate. (pic: In this photo taken by Augustus Washington, he wears the sword of the Sergeant-at-Arms post)

The World Professional Sculling Championship is held on the river separating Northern and Southern Rhodesia (Zambia and Zimbabwe). The first Zambezi International Regatta is witnessed by the chiefs of the Lozi people in 60 craft paddled by 600 men, to watch the team from East London, South Africa win the prize of £1,000 (equal to £150,703 in 2023).

The Imperial Ethiopian Air Force is established. The first plane, a Potez-25, a fighter-bomber, is imported from France.

South Africa is banned from participating in the Olympic Games due to the country’s apartheid policies of racial oppression. South Africa will return to Olympic competition in 1992 during the country’s transition to multi-racial democracy.

Six hijackers force a Misrair passenger flight from Cairo to Luxor, Egypt to land in El Wagah, Egypt. Although air hijackings occur every few days somewhere in the world, hijackings are rare in Africa.

Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist and leader of the Black Consciousness movement, is arrested at a road block for defying an order restricting his movement to King William’s Town. While in police custody, Biko will be tortured until he dies on 12 September.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, who opposed South Africa’s apartheid state, addresses the parliament of newly-democratised South Africa.

Namibia’s team participates for the first time in a Commonwealth Games, along with 16 other African Commonwealth nations, in British Colombia, Canada.

For challenging Uganda’s President of 34 years, Yoweri Museveni, musician and political activist Bobi Wine, now an elected MP, is framed by police for gun possession. He is arrested, and beaten senseless. He faces a military trial.

The world’s oldest surviving cheese is discovered by archeologists near Memphis, Egypt. Made 3,200 years ago, the cheese was found in the tomb of Ptahmes.

A coup d’état in Mali ends the presidency of Boubacar Keita. The African Union and U.N. Security Council condemn the military junta’s seizure of power.