Choose your country and language:

Africa

  • Global
  • Angola
  • Botswana
  • DRC
  • Ethiopia
  • Ghana
  • Kenya
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nigeria
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • shotLeft

Americas

  • USA
  • Argentina
  • Brazil

Asia Pacific

  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia

Europe

  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
Back
South Africa
Attractions
Culture
History
Family
Cape Town
Bloemfontein
Johannesburg
Durban
Pretoria
Polokwane
Port Elizabeth
Nelspruit
Kimberley

SSouth Africa is made up of people who have been in the country since the beginning of time, as well as others who arrived either as slaves, escapees of persecution in their homelands, or seekers of instant riches.

The first major recorded migration was that of the Dutch, after Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape in 1652. The Dutch Cape Colony grew quickly as farmers settled to grow produce. Thereafter, other large migrations followed, with Malay slaves coming from Dutch-held Java, French Huguenots escaping persecution in France, German settlers in search of a better life in the Cape and Natal, British settlers eluding poverty in the UK in 1820, and Indian indentured labourers or slaves who were brought over by the British to work the sugarcane plantations in 1860.

In the lead-up to apartheid, numerous social and legal decisions made by British and Dutch colonial powers ensured the division between races. Throughout the 19th century, laws forced blacks, Indians, coloureds and KhoiSan to carry passes that restricted their movement. Laws were also passed to prevent them from voting and owning land.

IIn the early 20th century, Mohandas Gandhi fought for the basic human rights of Indians to be recognised and upheld. His efforts would later influence Nelson Mandela. Additionally, conflicts such as the Cape Frontier Wars between the British and Xhosa, the Anglo-Zulu wars and even the Anglo-Boer War further dissected the races.

By 1948, a political culture based on white supremacy was firmly in place. The pro-Afrikaner National Party came to power and implemented apartheid, which was more rigorous than previous segregationist policies, and encouraged state repression of blacks, coloureds and Indians.

In 1950, the Group Areas Act of 1950 was passed, which segregated each race into specific urban living areas. Non-white residents in multiracial areas such as District Six and Sophiatown were relocated against their will to demarcated townships. By 1982, 3.5 million people were forcefully removed.

Another major event of the 1950s was the Congress of the People, which took place shortly after the launch of the Defiance Campaign. On 26 June, 1955, some 3 000 people gathered in Kliptown, Soweto, to sign the Freedom Charter, which is the foundation of modern-day South Africa’s Constitution. Shortly thereafter, demonstrations against pass laws came in the form of the Women’s March in 1956, and the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, during which the latter whereby police killed 69 protestors.

OOn 11 July, 1963, security police raided Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia and arrested 19 ANC members for sabotage. This led to the Rivonia Trial and subsequent imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki and others. In the same year, freedom fighter Dennis Brutus helped establish the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee and was then arrested and imprisoned on Robben Island. While he was incarcerated, South Africa was suspended from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which was followed by an international sports boycott.

After these events, the struggle quietened down for a few years until, in 1969, a student by the name of Steve Biko entered the political fray. While Mandela and fellow struggle stalwarts were imprisoned, Biko fought the regime with his Black Consciousness Movement. He had the insight to realise that the black majority also played a part in their being oppressed. “The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed,” he said, meaning the black population’s belief that they were inferior to whites kept them repressed.

The movement sought to change that mindset.

Black Consciousness quickly gained momentum and was highly influential. Government considered Biko a threat and banned him in 1973. This prevented Biko from leaving King William’s Town. In September 1977, Biko was arrested and brutally killed while in police custody in Port Elizabeth. His death, as well as the 1976 Soweto uprising that saw police kill hundreds of schoolchildren, marked a turning point in the struggle. South Africans intensified their fight against the regime.

BBiko lives on in the Black Consciousness ideas that exist today. Many South Africans, including rapper ProVerb, believe it is more relevant today than ever before. “Modern black South Africans have grown conscious of their roots and further embrace the reality and beauty in being black,” he said.

With paramilitary attacks against the regime coming from Umkhonto we Sizwe and Azanian People's Liberation Army, as well as international sanctions against South Africa, the apartheid government was under pressure to give up their hold on the country. That day came when President FW de Klerk set Mandela free. The man who was the face of the liberation struggle walked out of Victor Verster Prison on 11 February, 1990, after 27 years behind bars. Mandela was then voted as president in South Africa’s first democratic election on 27 April, 1994. This was soon followed by the establishment of our world-renowned Constitution and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It is ironic in a country considered the Cradle of Humankind, man would find ways of dividing itself based on that most paltry measure: skin colour. Apartheid still stings many South Africans to this day. The hurt was evident in 2007, when Dennis Brutus was nominated for induction into the South African Sports Hall of Fame. Ever the activist, Brutus declined, saying: “It is incompatible to have those who championed racist sport alongside its genuine victims.”

AAbout the author

Shamin Chibba has 13 years of writing experience, including three years as an editor. He has written in numerous formats, from long-form features for Al Jazeera Magazine and Brand South Africa.com to adaptations of classic tales for graphic novels. He also founded Seer Media, which provided news and information for NGOs in the Eastern Cape. When not writing, he can be found squirming painfully while trying to perfect his kung fu horse-stance. You can find his portfolio at Edge of Mystery

Places to see

Related articles

  • Vibrant culture

    Ronnies Sex Shop

    Vibrant culture
    Ronnies Sex Shop
    Along Route 62, between Barrydale and Ladysmith is the world-famous Ronnies Sex Shop. It is one of the most popular pubs on the route and travellers on the road stop for refreshments and a photograph of themselves next to the ‘Ronnies Sex Shop’ sign.
  • Vibrant culture

    Cape Malay Merang ceremony

    Vibrant culture
    Cape Malay Merang ceremony
    Merang is a Cape Malay celebration focused on food. Whether you savour the penslawar or salivate over the sweet potato and coconut pudding, a Cape Malay Merang meal is a delicious slice of community history.
  • Vibrant culture

    South African art galleries and museums

    Vibrant culture
    South African art galleries and museums
    A plethora of art galleries and museums are invaluable resources for understanding South Africa’s history and cultural diversity. Custodians of the past, these institutions also track the present and offer insight into the future.
  • Vibrant culture

    Creativity in the platteland

    Vibrant culture
    Creativity in the platteland
    The Free State has many artistic towns, Ficksburg, Clarens, Verkykerskop, Rosendal, Parys, Smithfield, Zastron, to name a few, where the more creative amongst us have settled in and made a home.
  • Breathtaking scenery

    Dolphin Coast’s waving sugar cane fields and stunning ocean vistas

    Breathtaking scenery
    Dolphin Coast’s waving sugar cane fields and stunning ocean vistas
    The Dolphin Coast is renowned for its beaches, warm water and subtropical climate and offers visitors not only water-related attractions and excursions but also golfing game viewing and hiking. There are cultural history sites, most notably Shakaskraal.
  • Vibrant culture

    The South African State Theatre, Pretoria

    Vibrant culture
    The South African State Theatre, Pretoria
    The South African State Theatre is one of the top performing-arts venues on the continent. It proudly offers a distinctive pan-African experience, and is also known as the Theatre of Africa. It houses a range of venues used for performances, conferences, fashion shows, festivals and parties.
  • Vibrant culture

    Pretoria Art Museum

    Vibrant culture
    Pretoria Art Museum
    The Pretoria Art Museum is known for its impressive collection of South African art. Its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions showcase South Africa’s old masters, as well as contemporary artists. It also features a collection of international art. The museum houses both rural and urban masterpieces, and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in South African creativity.
  • Vibrant culture

    The History of the Lemba People and Exploring Limpopo’s Diverse Cultural Heritage

    Vibrant culture
    The History of the Lemba People and Exploring Limpopo’s Diverse Cultural Heritage
    Limpopo is a culturally rich and diverse area and the perfect place to delve deeper into the diverse cultures that make up South Africa. Experience the history of the Lemba people, view spectacular South African art, and learn more about Venda and Tsonga culture while visiting this beautiful region.

South Africa on social media

Copyright © 2024 South African Tourism
|Terms and conditions|Disclaimer|Privacy policy