1. History of South Africa
In 20 minutes…
History of South Africa

2. The Peoples:
Fossils of earliest hominids date back to 3.5 million yrs ago in SA
More people lived along coast-sheep, cattle, marijuana—still there today known as the ‘Khoisan” people
More people speaking Bantu languages traveled further south into SA-by covered all land that was arable (eastern SA)
Language incorporated Khoisan words, much communal living with extensive trade
1652 begins European settlement-Cape of Good Hope fort run by Dutch East India Company aka Dutch Cape Colony
War began. Khoi refused poor terms of trade, Dutch killed many & replaced Khoi with European settlers using imported slave labor

3. Dutch East India Company:
Controlled Cape for 150 years
New populations: French Huguenots, Germans, procreated with Khoi women-offspring mostly incorporated into European society w/ regard to race but typically spoke “Creole” combining Dutch with Malay and Portuguese=basis of Afrikaans
Racial hierarchy soon developed: company men at top, settlers, mixed racial groups, slaves
Robben Island: 17-18th C prison for political prisoners/opponents, many from Indonesia who followed Islam

4. Great Britain:
1795: entered SA to cut off Nap. from his Dutch overseas empire/control sea routes to Asia-took over Dutch Cape Colony
Didn’t encourage settlement by Europeans, cont’d slavery until 1807
Attempted to stop Dutch settlers from expanding east into African farmland by creating human barrier by importing British farmers. Failed as GB realized needed access to land.
1830s slavery ended which angered Dutch (aka Boers-farmers)

5. Boers Boers-descendants of early Dutch settlers
Forced on “Great Trek” 20% abandoned and went north
Established: Transorangia, Transvaal, Natalia Republic- away from GB control, practiced slavery, voting only for white males
GB invaded Natalia and established Natal
Boers fled inland and established Orange Free State, South African Republic
Boer historical consciousness: enemies were British imperialism and African treachery?! How can they claim this?
Boers

6. Boer Lands:
South African Republic
Orange Free State

7. More regional identities developed:
Coloured-named by selves
Indians
Khoi
Emancipated slaves
Under apartheid, not seen as white or native, but eventually subdivided into: Cape Coloured, Cape Malay, Griqua, Indian, Chinese, “other Asiatic,” “other Coloured”
Brought by British to Natal to work as indentured
Later became shopkeepers, merchants
Separate class under apartheid

8. So what do we have by late 1860s?
2 British Colonies
2 Afrikaner republics
Several large African kingdoms
Not economically united: Boers & Africans: hunting & pastoralism; British and Dutch in the Cape: exported wine & wool; Natal: sugar
None of the above produced much wealth until GOLD & DIAMONDS found in 1886! Everything changed!
So what do we have by late 1860s?

9. GOLD & DIAMONDS!!!
Dramatically altered the political and economic structure of southern Africa- how do you think so? 1st recorded founding of gold near Kimberley- mixture of Khoi & Afrikaner land
Sir Philip Wodehouse, the Cape Governor, remarked in a letter to Lord Kimberley:
“As a matter of right, the native tribes are fairly entitled to that tract of country in which, for the present, the diamonds appear to be chiefly found.”
Source: John Pampallis, Foundations of the New South Africa. Cape Town, Maskew Miller Longman, 1991, p.17.
Research.