This document provides an overview of African history, culture, traditions and beliefs. It discusses the geography and climate of Africa along with details on some famous African people like Nelson Mandela and Wangari Maathai. Key historical events covered include the establishment of the Dutch Cape Colony and the mining of gold/diamonds. The document also summarizes African culture, literature, traditions, and cuisine. Traditional African clothing, music/dance, and storytelling are described.

1. INTRODUCTION
TO AFRICAN HISTORY,
CULTURES, TRADITIONS
AND BELIEFS
Endozo, Cloewie
Fernandez, Allyana Faye
Torralba, Alissa
IT4

2. AFRICA
• world’s second largest
continent area next to Asia
• third largest in
population after Asia and
Europe
• has a regular coastline
and is essentially a vast
plateau
• with the Sahara to the
north and the Kalahari
Desert to the south, the
central portion is tropical
and equatorial in climate.

3. • Not because of the complexion of the
original inhabitants but because most
people know very little about it.
• It is not a dark continent; it is a land
flushing with sunshine and vivid light.
• It is the last of the continents to feel
the influence of the Western civilization
• Africa is
also called
as “Dark
Continent”.

4. • Today, its
societies are still
largely tribal.
• Most Africans
practice local
traditions sprung
from different
religious systems.
• There are hundreds
of local religions
in Africa because
each ethnic group
has its own set of
beliefs and
practices.

5. • The geography of Africa is so varied
and extremely diverse.
• Most local arts is closely associated
with religion.
• primitive in nature and is associated
with superstition and spiritual
motifs
• decorative motifs are used to honors
the animal and plant life of religion
• It is the best place in the world
where wild animals can still be seen
migrating across the plains, rivers,
swamps and on the savanna.

6. FAMOUS PEOPLE
Nelson Mandela
• After released from jail for twenty-
seven years he became the first
democratically elected president of South
Africa.
• Founded the military wing of the
African National Congress which was
involved in sabotaging government
installations.
• He demonstrated courage, patience and
determination to free his nation from the
shackles of apartheid.
Shaka
• Was a famous African Zulu King and
warrior
• A military genius training his warriors
in special military tactics and in the
use of modern weapons
• Under his rule, Zulu people became a
powerful nation

7. Bishop Desmond Tutu
• winner of the Noble Peace Prize in 1984
and the Gaudhi Peace Prize in 2005
• world renowned religious leader
• has fought diligently against apartheid,
xenophobic violence in South Africa and
other violence against human beings both
black and white
• served many high post including: General
Secretary of the South African Council of
Churches, Dean of Saint Mary’s Cathedral
in Johannesburg and Bishop of Lesotho
Koffi Annan
• 7th
Secretary-General of the United
Nations for 10 years
• won Noble Peace Prize in 2001
•influenced world politics in a
positive manner
• worked diligently at resolving
conflicts between nations in a
peaceful manner

8. Wangari Maathai
• famous environmentalist
from Kenya
• founder of Green Belt
Movement
• She was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2004

9. HISTORICAL PLACES
Castle of Good Hope
• South Africa’s oldest surviving colonial building
• was built by the Dutch East India Company as a
replenishment station for their ships journeying
from Europe to the East on trading expeditions
• the pastel-painted buildings constructed of stone
are now home to the Castle Military Museum and the
William Fehr Collection

10. Robben Island Prison
• symbol of hope for all South Africans
• now a cultural and conservation showcase for the new
South African democracy, an international icon of the
triumph of good over evil
• declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and housing a
world-class museum
• it is here where Nelson Mandela and other anti-
apartheid activists were incarcerated

11. Groot Constantia Winelands
• South Africa’s oldest wine estate
• Has consistently produces top quality
wines over the centuries which visitors
can taste at the estate.

12. Bo-KAAP Museum
• showcases South Africa’s Islamic heritage
• cheerful neighborhood of multi-colored houses
• established centuries back by freed slaves who
hailed from South East Asia and practiced by
Muslim faith
• it is in the process of transformation into a
social history museum that will tell the story of
local population within a cultural and socio-
political context

13. Tulbagh’s Entire Church Street
• Has been declared a heritage site and
features lovingly restored and maintained
Cape Dutch buildings straight out of the
18th
century.

14. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
The Dutch Cape Colony
• First European
settlement in South
Africa established by the
Dutch in 1652 for the
purpose of resupplying
ships as they sailed
around the southern tip
of Africa
• It created a racially
segregated society
dependent on African
labor
• Dutch settlers regarded
the land as theirs and
Africans as foreigner
The British Cape Colony and
the Great Trek
• Great Britain captured the
Cape Colony from the Dutch
in 1806 and began to impose
English law on the
Afrikaners.
• In 1833, the British
government abolished slavery
altogether.
• Many Afrikaners attempted
to escape British colonial
control by travelling to the
interior of the country to
preserve their 17th
century
Dutch culture.
• The Afrikaner migration
became known as the Great

15. The African Wars
•The Great Trek brought Afrikaners into conflict with
African kingdoms
•The Battle of Blood River symbolized their position
•For the Zulus and other Africans, the battle was one of
many attempts to stop white intrusion onto African land
•Similar African wars continued, until the conquest of
almost all Africans were complete in the late 1800’s.
The Mining of Gold and Diamonds
•The discovery of gold and diamonds
changed life dramatically for blacks.
•The British forced blacks to leave
mineral-rich land and move to
“reserves” – areas of land that the
British deemed of little value –
where blacks would have no access to
the gold and diamond wealth

16. The Union of South Africa
• The British granted independence to South Africa
in 1910
• South African whites enacted laws to transform
black land reserves into pools for cheap,
unskilled labor for white farmers and
industrialists.
• In 1948, Daniel Malan’s National Party won the
South African election
• It immediately began the policy of apartheid
(apartness), a system that legalized Afrikaner’s
strict control over blacks
• The National Party planned to make Afrikaner the
legal culture of South Africa by phasing out
English language

17. CULTURE
• The culture of Africa encompasses and
includes all cultures within the
continent of Africa.
• There is a political or racial split
between North Africa, and Sub-Saharan
Africa, which in turn was divided into a
great number of ethnic cultures.
• African cultures are diverse and varied
and not static
• Historically, Africa is home to
innumerable tribes, ethnic and social
groups

18. • Africa has a rich
tradition of arts and
crafts
•African arts and
crafts find expression
in a variety of
woodcarvings, brass
and leather art works.
• It also includes
sculpture, paintings,
pottery, ceremonial
and religious headgear
and dress.
•Masks are used in
various ceremonies
depicting ancestors
and spirits,
mythological
characters and
details.

19. • African culture has
always places emphasis
on personal appearance
and jewelry has
remained an important
personal accessory.

20. LITERATURE
• African literature refers to oral and written
literary pieces produced on the African
continent
• Oral literature of Africa may be in prose or
poetry
• Storytellers often tell stories using the call-
and-response technique
• Poetry is often sung or recited in a sing-song
voice
• Africa’s written literature is in European
languages
• Traditional languages became vehicles of
cultural thoughts
• African literature is also the home of literary
masters

21. • Wole Sojinka who won the Nobel Prize for
literature in 1986, Chinua Achebe and Christina Ama
Ata Aidoo are among those who have defined the
literary standards of Africa literature

22. TRADITIONS
Clothes/Clothing
• People in West Africa wear many different styles of
clothing
• Weavers make narrow strips of cloth from silk which are
called Ken-te strips, which are sewn together into large
cloths, which people wear on special occasions
• Women’s traditional clothes in Ethiopia are made from
cloth called shemma and used to make habeshaqemis

23. • Traditional male clothing is usually light, consisting of
a two-part apron used to cover the genital and buttocks.
• The front piece is called the umutsha, and is usually made
of springbook or other animal hide twisted into different
bands which cover the genitals.
• The rear pice, called the ibheshu is made of a single
piece of springbook or cattle hide and its length is
usually used as an indicator of age and social position

24. Music and Dance
• People in West Africa wear many different styles of
clothing
• Weavers make narrow strips of cloth from silk which are
called Ken-te strips, which are sewn together into large
cloths, which people wear on special occasions
• Women’s traditional clothes in Ethiopia are made from
cloth called shemma and used to make habeshaqemis

25. • People told stories and poems that entertained
them and helped them to make sense of the world
• In some villages, people still gather together
to hear stories for children and adults.
• Many stories are designed to teach the listener
how to behave and to explain how things first
came about or were discovered.
Storytellin
g (Story
time)

26. Cuisine/Food
• African cuisine is a combination of traditional
fruits and vegetables, milk and meat products
• The African village diet is often milk, curds and
whey
• It is characterized by use of starch as a focus,
accompanied by stew containing meat and vegetables or
both
• Cassava and yams are the main root vegetables
• Africans also use steamed greens with hot spices

27. • Lobola
• This is one traditional custom in Africa where the groom pays the
father of the bride in order to compensate for the loss of the
man’s daughter
• Traditionally, lobola was paid in cattle, a valued commodity in
may African cultures but today modern couples pay it in cash
• Lobola is intended to bring together two families, fostering
mutual respect
• It indicates that the groom is financially capable of supporting
his wife
Wedding Rites
• Wedding is held at night when the moon is full
• It is considered bad luck if the wedding takes place when the moon
is not bright
• the wedding celebrations can last several days but the bride’s
parents do not attend because it is too sad or them and the event
is intended to be a joyous one
• a man can have many wishes as he can afford and the wives share
the responsibilities for the daily chores such as babysitting,
pounding corn, preparing the meals and washing clothes
• The practice of polygamy brings families together and deepens the
interest of the welfare in others
• The protection of the family is the core value in most African
tribes
Customs

28. The Rite Passage/Circumcision
• The rite passage is a controversial African custom
that varies from tribe to tribe
• Circumcision, which is usually performed on males, is
in some cultures, performed on females as well
• The ritual is usually spread over a period of several
months
• The one being circumcised is forbidden from screaming
or crying because doing so is considered a cowardly
behavior
• This kind of custom has often caused mutilation and
even death

29. LITERARY JOURNEY
• Moorish Marriage and Customs
• The Moorish wedding begins with a procession.

30. • The bride and groom have never
seen each other.
• When the bride arrives at the
house, there is nobody except a
female Negro servant who lifts
her out of the box because her
feet must not touch the ground.
• The groom himself is not at
home; she waits until he
arrives.

31. • When he comes in, the two eat
together alone while the
members of the family wait
outside, shrieking out loud
music.
• This is the bride’s one and
only meal with her husband
because afterward she will eat
only with the women.

32. • The arrangement is mainly financial.
• The engagement must last for months.
• During this period, the girl is
deliberately fattened up because to
the Moroccans, plumpness is
fashionable.
• A Moslem can have only a maximum of
four legal wives and he must treat
them equally and their children
equally too.

33. • To the Moslem moors, there is
no courtship before marriage.
• All is arranged by the fathers.
• Usually the father of the groom
looks around to size up
available young ladies from 13
to 15 years old.