South Africa A Collision of Cultures Two African Two European And One Asian

The Bushmen The original inhabitants of South Africa are presently the Bushmen of the Kalahari. They are different from all other Africans in race, language and culture These Hunter-Gatherers were pushed into the Kalahari desert by the other peoples

The Dutch In 1652 Dutch merchants founded Cape Town as a port on the way to the spice islands where ships could be re-supplied. A colony with farmers was established to produce food for the ships. This isolated colony grew slowly.

The Zulu The Zulu and other related “Bantu speaking” peoples entered south Africa from the North around 1700 A Farming, iron making people with they began to expand in the early 1800’s under their great leader Shaka.

The British When Napoleon invaded the Netherlands in 1795 the British took over Cape Town Colony to keep it out of French hands. In 1806 they officially took over to use it as a base to get to Australia The Dutch Farmers (Known as Boers) moved out and the European occupied area increased Then diamonds and Gold were discovered!

WAR! The Expanding Zulu, Boers and the British British collided Several Wars were fought In the end the British won. They brought workers from India adding a fifth group to the area

Apartheid The Society was divided into three groups: “Whites”...who could vote and had all the rights “Coloreds”… the Indians who had fewer rights “Blacks”…who had almost no rights When South Africa became independent in 1961 Blacks were restricted to only certain areas which were poor villages and slums Apartheid

After a long struggle led by Nelson Mandela, and Bishop Desmond Tutu in 1994 the “Blacks” gained the right to vote and other rights. But Black poverty and prejudice continue today