History of South Africa

South Africa:
An Abbreviated History of the Rainbow Nation
International Leadership Seminar for State Officers

© 2016 National FFA Organization
The Dark Continent
With a land area of nearly 12 million miles,
the continent of Africa is more than three
times the size of the continental United
States. Despite its massive size, little was
known about the land or its people until
oceanic trade routes sought to link Europe
to Asia.

The Dark Continent
European colonization plays a key part in
the history of the continent’s southern-most
nation, South Africa. Slightly larger than
Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico combined,
the land that we know today was once home to
some of our earliest ancestors.

Origins of Life
Throughout the 20th century, paleontologists
have discovered human fossils, footprints,
and cave drawings that indicate the earliest
humans lived in the grasslands of eastern
and southern Africa about four to six
million years ago.

The Khoikhoi and the San People
As human evolution progressed, two distinct
human groups began to form in the region:
the Khoikhoi and the San people.
Evidence shows that the Khoikhoi people were
skilled in animal husbandry, owning their
own livestock, while the San were hunters
and gatherers who lived nomadically off
available natural resources.

The Khoikhoi and the San People
The two groups lived
on the western and
southern coasts of
South Africa, in the
areas that are
present-day Cape
Town and Port
Elizabeth.

The Bantu Migration
For thousands of years, the Khoikhoi and San
represented the predominant cultures in what
is modern-day South Africa.
Elsewhere on the continent, though, other
indigenous cultures were thriving and
expanding. Collectively, these over 400
groups came to be called the Bantu people.

The Bantu Migration
Inter-marriage among Bantu groups resulted in
sharing of language and knowledge. New
agricultural practices, such as the invention
of the iron blade, resulted in a desire for the
Bantu to expand their culture from West Africa
to the rest of the continent.
Though it happened over the course of 4,000
years, the Bantu expansion is thought to be one
of the most significant human migrations and

The Bantu Migration
Inter-marriage among Bantu groups resulted
in sharing of language and knowledge. New
agricultural practices, such as the
invention of the iron blade, resulted in a
desire for the Bantu to expand their culture
from West Africa to the rest of the
continent.
Inter-marriage also resulted in peaceful

The Bantu Migration
Though it happened over the course of 4,000
years, the Bantu expansion is thought to be one
of the most significant human migrations and
cultural transitions in world history.
The result of the migration was a series of
small kingdoms across the continent, including
groups like the Zulu and Xhosa in South Africa,
who lived mainly between Port Elizabeth and
Durban on the

European Arrival
Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese explorer in
search of India, lands on the Cape of Good
Hope in 1487. This event served as proof
that the Atlantic and Indian oceans were, in
fact, connected.
Dias’ discovery prompted European shipping
companies to invest in navigating through
the southern tip of Africa.

European Arrival
In 1652, the Dutch East India Trading
Company (VOC) from the present-day
Netherlands lands in Cape Town and settles
it as a “rest stop” for restocking
provisions aboard trade ships.
Dutch merchant Jan van Riebeeck settles the
area, building a small colony for the
purposes of trade.

European Arrival
Van Riebeeck notices the fertile land in the
western cape and recruits Dutch farmers,
called Boers, to colonize the land and grow
supplies for the VOC.
This outraged the Khoikhoi and San who
relied on their native ground for raising
livestock, hunting and foraging. Beginning
in 1659, the Khoi begin a series of

European Arrival
In the late 1600s, French Huguenots join the
Dutch in Cape Town.
The Huguenots are protestant members of the
Calvinist Reformed Church who were
persecuted in France for their religious
beliefs. The French brought with them their
knowledge of grape growing and wine-making.
Many farms in the area still retain their

European Arrival
Provisions aren’t the only item imported to
the Cape.
European settlers bring disease to the
continent, most notably, Smallpox, which
nearly wipes out the Khoi and San people.
Those who manage to escape flee inland where
many are killed by their inland brothers out
of fear that those from the Cape are

British Control and the Great Trek
In 1798, Britain takes control of the Cape
colony, dissolving the VOC. The Dutch
formally give control of the colony to the
British in 1816.
Following two decades of dissatisfaction
with British rule, Dutch colonists in the
Cape grow restless and begin a migration
inland known today as the Great Trek.

British Control and the Great Trek
En route, the Voortrekkers (Boer farmers)
upset and displace countless communities of
indigenous people living inland including
the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Pedi and Sotho
people.
The Boers forcibly take large tracts of land
from the chiefs of these people, who have no
concept of private land ownership. Some land

Natural Riches and Natural Greed
Throughout the 19th century, the land
claimed by the Boers is found to be rich in
both diamonds and gold.
The British government in the Cape sought to
annex the land for its own profit. Tensions
erupted, triggering 20 years of on-again,
off-again fighting in what would be called
the First and Second Boer Wars.

Outcome of the Boer Wars
The land in question during the Boer Wars
are two self-governing territories called
the Free State and the Transvaal.
Following the Second Boer War, the
territories are combined with the Cape
colony, and a fourth colony called Natal, to
form the Union of South Africa in 1910.

Outcome of the Boer Wars
The land in question during the Boer Wars
are two self-governing territories called
the Free State and the Transvaal.
Following the Second Boer War, the
territories are combined with the Cape
colony, and a fourth colony called Natal, to
form the Union of South Africa in 1910. The
new nation remains a commonwealth of

Formation of the African National Congress
As the tug-of-war between Britain and the
Boers reached critical mass during the Boer
wars, the various black cultures of South
Africa began to unify over their noticeable
absence in the government of the Union of
South Africa.
In 1912, the African National Congress is
formed as a political organization fighting

Native Lands Act
In 1913, the Native Lands Act is introduced.
The measure prevents blacks living outside of
the Cape province from owning land outside of
their region.
It further restricts black Africans from being
on white-owned land, unless they are working
for the white landowner.
Despite making up 80% of the nation’s

Fear Rises
Throughout the early part of the 1900s, the
ruling government begins to pass restrictive
laws in effort to limit the power of the
majority black population.
Many of the laws stem from black uprisings
in neighboring African countries that result
in the massacre of European white
descendants.

Fear Rises
Between 1910 and 1940, measures are taken to
promote inequality between the black and
white residents of South Africa.
Blacks are fired from jobs which are given
to whites, denied formal education, and paid
a reduced working wage. Passage of the
Representation of Voters Act weakens
political rights of blacks.

Apartheid Begins
The Nationalist Party (NP) wins the 1948
election on the coattails of an apartheid
system of segregation.
Apartheid, meaning “apartness”, separated
South Africa into four racial groups:
whites, blacks, coloureds (mixed race) and
Indians (Asian Indians).

Apartheid Begins
The Nationalist Party (NP) wins the 1948
election on the coattails of an apartheid
system of segregation.
Apartheid, meaning “apartness”, separated South
Africa into four racial groups: whites, blacks,
coloureds (mixed race) and Indians (Asian
Indians).
A series of legislative measures are passed

The Group Areas Act
Passed in 1951, the legislation segregates
the four classifications of citizens by
setting aside specific communities for each
race.
The best areas and the majority of land are
reserved for whites. Non-whites are
relocated to “reserves” while families of
mixed race are forced to live separately.

The Bantu Homelands Act
The government declares that lands reserved
for black Africans were independent nations.
Blacks are stripped of their citizenship and
forced to become residents of their new
homelands, making them foreigners in their
own country. They require passes to travel
outside of their homeland, which is only
permitted for the purpose of serving whites
in menial jobs.

The Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents
Act
Don’t be fooled my this act’s misleading
name.
The law required all Africans to carry
identification at all times. These passbooks
contained their names, addresses,
fingerprints and other information.
The penalty for being caught without a

The Preservation of Separate Amenities Act
Seeing the success of similar legislation in
the United States, the Nationalist Party
enacts the Preservation of Separate
Amenities Act. This establishes “separate
bbut not necessarily equal” parks, beaches,
post offices and other public places for
white and non-whites.
The act is followed by the Bantu Education

Resistance Grows
Under the direction of the African National
Congress, black lawyers Oliver Tambo and
Nelson Mandela create the Freedom Charter.
The document envisions what an apartheid-
free South Africa would ideally look like
for all of its citizens.

The Sharpesville Massacre
An all-black protest outside of a police
station in the township of Sharpesville
results in blacks burning their passbooks in
protest of apartheid.
Police fire on the unarmed crowd, many of
whom are shot in the back while running from
the scene. The government declares a state
of emergency while the ANC declares it can

Spear of the Nation
Nelson Mandela abandons his family to go
underground as the leader of the ANC’s militant
wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe, or MK. The name
translates in English to “Spear of the Nation.”
Mandela travels to Northern Africa to train as
a militant fighter and returns to South Africa
to carry out a series of sabotages, including
the bombing of a power plant.
In 1960, the ANC is banned as a communist

Global Outcasts
In 1961, pressure from the international
community begins to mount against South Africa.
The country leaves the British Commonwealth and
becomes an independent republic over concerns
from the British regarding racial policies.
South Africa is excluded from the Olympics
games, to which it would not return until 1992.

Caught, Tried, Sentenced
Leaders of the MK are captured at Lilliesleaf
Farm, hideout for the organization, in 1963.
Mandela is arrested attempting to travel
outside his restricted area.
Ten members of the MK, Mandela included, are
tried in the Rivonia Trial. The accused face
charges for 221 acts of sabotage designed to
overthrow the government.
In 1964, a verdict is reached. Each defendant

Life on Robben Island
Mandela and other leaders of the ANC are
classified as political prisoners and are
sentenced to the labor prison on Robben
Island off the coast of Cape Town.
Mandela would spend 18 years on the island
in a single-occupancy cell while working in
the lime quarry. Oftentimes, the prison
officers would have inmates move rock piles

The Struggle without Mandela
Despite the imprisonment of ANC leaders,
resistance to apartheid increases throughout
the 1970s and 1980s.
Whites begin to join blacks in
demonstrations. Those sympathizing with
political protesters are placed under a
banning order which results in government
surveillance and limited contact with more

More than 3 million people are forcibly
resettled into black homelands.
Thousands of students in the black township
of Soweto march on their school in 1976 to
demand that their education be conducted in
English rather than Afrikaans, the language
of the white government. Police fire on the
students, sparking riots and further

Individuals and nations around the world
protest South Africa and the apartheid
system. Countries ban the import of South
African goods.
Major companies are pressured to pull out of
South African business dealings as their
investors rapidly sell stock during the
1980s. The South African economy and

Tides of Change
In effort to improve it’s global image,
South Africa repeals some segregation laws
including those that limit use of public
spaces or services.
The government moves Mandela from Robben
Island to Pollsmoor Prison, and eventually
Victor Verster Prison as the result of
secret talks between the NP government and

Tides of Change
F.W. de Klerk is elected president of the
Nationalist Party. A deeply religious man,
he believes he is being called by God to
unite South Africa. As a result, he lifts
the ban on the ANC and releases Mandela from
prison in February of 1990.
Despite opposition, de Klerk repeals the
rest of Apartheid and calls for a new

Tides of Change
Not everyone is in favor of unity. White and
black extremist groups alike continue their
practices of violence in light of the
government’s weakened authority.
In 1993, a multiracial, transitional
government is approved. The country prepares
for it’s first truly-democratic elections
where race does not dictate one’s ability to

Mandela Elected President
Elections are held in 1994. The United
Nations sends over 2,000 international
observers to ensure that elections are held
fairly.
Nelson Mandela, the ANC candidate, wins 63
percent of the vote in the April elections.
He takes the oath of office on May 10 as
president of the new Republic of South

Healing and Rebuilding
President Mandela’s vision is to use the
upcoming Rugby World Cup, which South Africa
will host, to unify the country.
Mandela enlists the help of Francois Pienaar,
captain of the national rugby team, the
Springboks, to rally the country around the
predominantly-white sport. The Springboks go on
to defeat New Zealand and win the 1995 World
Cup. The story becomes the inspiration for the

Seeking to make good on his promise to
rebuild the fractured nation, Mandela
appoints the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission chaired by Archbishop Desmond
Tutu. In 1996, the commission begins
hearings on human rights crimes committed by
former government and liberation movements
during apartheid era.

South Africa’s parliament adopts a new
constitution in 1996. Among the provisions
is language that outlaws any form of racial
discrimination. In effort to celebrate the
nation’s indigenous people, eleven official
languages are declared, including tribal
languages, English and Afrikaans (the
language spoken during the apartheid era).

Mandela Steps Down, Mbeki Steps Up
In 1999, after serving a full, five-year
term as president, Nelson Mandela steps
down.
The ANC chooses Thabo Mbeki, whose father
was imprisoned with Mandela on Robben
Island, as their candidate and easily wins
the 1999 election. Mbeki had served as
Mandela’s deputy president, handling affairs

Mbeki Draws Controversy
Mbeki draws sharp criticism over his response
to South Africa’s high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
In a speech to the International AIDS
Conference, he claims no link between HIV and
AIDS.
His administration later fails to authorize and
implement a national drug program that could
prevent the transmission of HIV from pregnant
mothers to their unborn children.

Mbeki Draws Controversy
In 2005, Mbeki removes his deputy president,
Jacob Zuma, due to charges of corruption.
The move costs Mbeki the support of many ANC
members who are loyal to Zuma.
In response, ANC members vote not to support
Mbeki in Parliament. After three years of
disagreement, Mbeki resigns as president in
September 2008.

ANC Backs Zuma
The ANC easily carries the 2009 general
election and the ANC nominates Jacob Zuma as
it’s choice for president despite legal
allegations of rape and corruption from his
days as deputy president.
In 2014, despite further allegations of
corruption and use of government funds to
repair a private residence, Zuma is

References
1. Bantu expansion. (2008, May 25). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved
14:31, October 9, 2016 from
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Bantu_expansion&ol
did=719416.
2. Bantu. (2016, May 11). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:32, October
9, 2016 from
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Bantu&oldid=995896
.
3. Berger, I. (2009). South Africa in World History. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
4. Great Trek. South Africa History Online. Retrieved 14:33, October 9,
2016 from http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/great-trek-1835-1846
5. Grieve, Arch. “Intro to South African History”. Retrieved 14:40, October
9, 2016 from http://www.slideshare.net/ArchGrieve/intro-to-south-
african-history-notes?qid=84686275-07bc-4e3d-8198-
b52a0f430759&v=&b=&from_search=2

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