Brief History: South Africa Travel, South Africa Safaris & Tours

Brief History - Travel to South Africa. Your comprehensive guide to travelling to South Africa. Book accommodation, tours, safaris, car hire and flights.

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South Africa Travel

Brief History

During the Late Stone age approximately 10 000 years ago, the hunter-gatherer San people roamed the open plains of southern Africa. Their legacy is evident in the thousands of rock art sites, which are found in most parts of the country. During the Iron Age and up to the fifteenth century, Black African people from central Africa known as the Bantu moved southwards into southern Africa, displacing the San People where they settled.

In 1488, the Portuguese navigator Bartholomeus Diaz sailed around the Cape coast on his voyage of discovery from Lisbon and just over 160 years later in 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a United East India Company presence on the shores of Table Bay, where the city of Cape Town now stands. Van Riebeeck was an employee of the Dutch arm of the United East India Company and it was his task to provide ships, sailing to the East for the purchase of silks, spices, porcelain and works of art with fresh fruit, vegetables and fresh water.

Over the centuries, white Dutch colonists and later white French settlers mixed in with a sprinkling of Germans and Anglo-Saxons to evolve into the Afrikaans people. The word ‘African’ is in Dutch ‘Afrikaans’ from there derives ‘Afrikaans language’ a form of old pigeon Dutch which is related to original modern Dutch and a Germanic language. The Afrikaner trekboers, or nomadic farmers, gradually ventured inland to escape the rule of the United East India Company and later the British Colonial Cape Government in the Cape Province. These nomadic people ventured more than one thousand five hundred kilometres east of Cape Town into an area that is now called the Eastern Cape Province.

It was here that here they first encountered the Xhosa; a Bantu people of the Nguni strain.

NB: In the early days of the Colony one would have to cover three thousand kilometres to reach Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape from Cape Town. (Today a mere one third that distance).

The British briefly occupied the Cape between 1795 and 1802 to prevent it falling into French Royalist hands, with whom they were at war. During the four years following 1802 the Colony reverted to the control of the Dutch Government as the Dutch arm of the United East India Company had ceased to exist. The Cape was permanently taken over by the British in 1806, and direct colonial rule was imposed until 1910 when the Union of South Africa was established by the British in collaboration with General Louis Botha a (Boer General) and his followers. During the mid nineteenth century, the Boers (Afrikaners) moved north to open up the hinterland and in the process established the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (Transvaal). The Boers also briefly established the Republic of Natalia in 1838 in what is today KwaZulu Natal. The British refused to recognise the new Republic and in 1843, after several skirmishes between Boer and Brit at Port Natal (Durban) the Boers abandoned the area, the reason being that there ranks had been infiltrated by pro British Colonial elements. The British formally annexed Natal in 1845.

The expansion of European settlement in the Eastern Cape, Natal and the central areas of South Africa caused tremendous upheaval and disruption to the Black African inhabitants. A young Xhosa girl thought to have been put under a spell by a sangoma who had been befriended by the British told her people that she had been told in a dream that they must chase there cattle into the sea in order to save the nation. The famine which ensued broke the back of this once powerful and brave nation. In the Eastern Cape nine frontier wars were fought between the alliance of British and Afrikaner settlers and the Xhosa people which eventually resulted in the subjugation and eventual annexation of the Xhosa lands into the Cape Colony. In the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republics a similar pattern of violent conquest and dispossession caused the loss of independence of the Black African inhabitants of these areas. In 1836 Afrikaner trekkers decisively defeated Mzilikazi at the battle of Vegkop causing the Ndebele people, a Zulu related tribe, to flee and eventually settle in Matebeleland in present-day Zimbabwe. The defeat of the Zulus at the battle of Blood River in 1838 paved the way for the establishment of the short-lived Republic of Natalia. An uneasy alliance with the British kept the Afrikaners out of Basutoland, which eventually resulted in the establishment of a separate British Protectorate and ultimately the independent state of Lesotho, a land completely land locked by South Africa. In 1879, despite the heroic conquest of the Zulu army in defeating the British at the battle of Isandlwana, the British eventually destroyed the last remnants of Zulu power at the battle of Ulundi. Zululand was partitioned and eventually annexed by the British in 1887. In 1897 Zululand was incorporated into the Colony of Natal, forming what is today the province of KwaZulu Natal.

The discovery of gold and diamonds during the late 1800’s caused an economic boom with the establishment of the city of Johannesburg and the diamond diggings in Kimberley. After the second Anglo Boer War, which concluded in 1902, the Boer or Afrikaner Republics were taken over by the British together with their valuable mineral reserves and were administered as separate Crown colonies. In 1910, General Louis Botha formed the Union of South Africa as an independent dominion within the British Commonwealth out of the old Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, Natal and Transvaal.

In order to counter the overwhelming tide of European power and control in South Africa, the first cohesive African Political organisation was founded in Bloemfontein in 1912. The African National Congress (ANC) became synonymous with the political aspirations of Black South Africans to achieve political freedom and liberty in South Africa. The National Party under the leadership of FW de Klerk unbanned political opposition parties and released Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. These actions led ultimately to the election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994 under an ANC government. Nelson Mandela stepped down as president after his first term, paving the way for Thabo Mbeki’s election as president subsequent to the 1999 elections. The Democratic Party, which during 2000 absorbed the declining National Party to become the Democratic Alliance, became the Official Opposition. South Africa is a full member of the Commonwealth, United Nations, non-aligned Movement and the Organisation of African Unity.

MOST POPULAR AREAS:

Sun City, South Africa	Kruger Park, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa	Cape Winelands, South Africa
Garden Route, South Africa	Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Durban, South Africa	Drakensberg, South Africa

COUNTRIES & REGIONS:

Travel to Eastern Cape Garden Route - EC, Wild Coast Region	Travel to Gauteng Johannesburg Region, Pretoria Region
Travel to Free State	Travel to Kwazulu Natal Drakensberg Region, Dolphin Coast (KZN), Kwazulu Natal South Coast, Zululand, Midlands (KZN), Battlefields, Kwazulu Natal North Coast, Elephant Coast
Travel to Mpumalanga Kruger Park - MP, The Panorama	Travel to Northern Cape Namaqualand
Travel to Limpopo Province Capricorn, Kruger Park - LP	Travel to North-West Province
Travel to Western Cape Garden Route - WC, Cape Winelands, West Coast, Cape Town & Surroundings, Peninsula, Overberg, Klein Karoo / Little Karoo, Southwestern Cape, Karoo	Travel to Kruger Transfrontier Park
Travel to South Africa	Travel to Garden Route
Travel to Kruger Park

Tours covering South Africa - Show all safaris & tours covering South Africa »»
	Safari & Cape Town - Kruger & Cape Peninsula From per person per night	Join guided walking safaris, game drives and birding safaris in an area where you enjoy exclusive traversing rights in the best Big Five game viewing area in the Kruger National Park. Continue your trip with a stay in a five star waterfront retreat right on the beach in the picturesque lobster-fishing village of Kommetjie, a short thirty-minute drive from Cape Town. *Tour Duration:* 6 days

	Ultimate Big Five Safari (Air-safari) (JIA-2-JIAS) From per person per night	A fantastic safari in the world renowned Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Enjoy game drives in open safari vehicles as well as walking safaris under the guidance of professional rangers and trackers. Overnight in a magnificent lodge with splendid views over the Reserve. *Tour Duration:* 4 days

	Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge Fly - In From US$3152 per person per night	Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, situated in the world-renowned 65000 hectare Sabi Sand Wildtuin in the South-Western section of the Kruger National Park, is a wildlife oasis, where you can observe at close quarters the age-old natural relationship between predator and prey. *Tour Duration:* 4 days

	Show all safaris & tours covering South Africa »»

South Africa - Tourist Information
Statistics Population: 47.4 million Area: 1 219 912 sq. kms. GDP per capita: US$ 12 200 Languages: Eleven official languages		Climate The climate is generally temperate in the interior and sub-tropical in KwaZulu Natal and the northern coastal areas of the Eastern Cape. The Western Cape experiences a Mediterranean climate with dry... More »»
Currency and Credit Cards The unit of currency in South Africa is the Rand; which is divided into 100 cents. Bank notes currently available are in denominations of R200; R100; R50; R20 and R10. Coins in denominations of R5;... More »»		Visa and Entry Requirements Valid passports are required by all foreign nationals to enter South Africa. Citizens of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union may enter South Africa without a visa requirement. In... More »»
Public Holidays 01 January - New Year’s Day 21 March - Human Rights Day Good Friday (Easter weekend) April (variable date) Family Day (Easter weekend) April (variable date) 27 April - Freedom Day 01 May -... More »»		Brief History During the Late Stone age approximately 10 000 years ago, the hunter-gatherer San people roamed the open plains of southern Africa. Their legacy is evident in the thousands of rock art sites, which... More »»
Economy South Africa is rich in mineral deposits including high grade iron ore and coal, asbestos, manganese, copper, uranium, platinum, palladium, vanadium and chromium to mention a few and of course gold... More »»		General South Africa is the southern-most country on the African continent and is cradled by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its great diversity of peoples, culture, scenic splendour, wildlife and nature... More »»
Geography Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe border South Africa to the north. Moçambique and Swaziland border South Africa to the north-east; while Lesotho is completely landlocked by South Africa. South Africa... More »»		Physical Features The western half of the country, comprising the Great Karoo, Bushmanland and Namaqualand, is a sparsely populated semi-desert. These areas cover most of the Northern Cape, the north-western sections... More »»
Political Features South Africa is divided into nine provinces and has eleven official languages, with English the language of business and government. There are two capital cities - Cape Town (Western Cape) is the... More »»		Accommodation The variety of accommodation in South Africa is almost as diverse as its many people. This ranges from luxury hotels to bed and breakfast type accommodation. The South African Tourism Board (SATOUR)... More »»
Banks and Foreign Exchange Banking hours in most centres are 09h00 to 15h30 Mondays to Fridays and 09h00 to 11h00 on Saturdays. Foreign bank notes and travellers cheques may be converted into local currency at most banks,... More »»		Dining and Drinking South African food is unique and varied and has its origins in the many countries and people, which makes up its cosmopolitan culture. European, Indian, Malay, African and French cuisine; augmented... More »»
Tipping Tipping for service is not compulsary but is in general standard practice in South Africa and usually ranges around 10% in restaurants and about R5 for hotel porters. Cleaners and maids in hotels and... More »»		Media and Television A wide variety of daily and weekly English and other local language newspapers are available in South Africa. In addition regular periodicals produced in South Africa cover every conceivable subject... More »»
Medical Care Visitors are responsible for their own medical needs and it is advisable to carry comprehensive medical insurance. There are Public Hospitals in most towns and cities with services ranging from good... More »»		Telephones A modern and efficient telephone service is available in almost all parts of the country. Direct national and international dialling is possible in almost all areas. Pay phones operating with coins... More »»
Value Added Tax (VAT) VAT is currently 14% and is included in the price of most goods. A VAT refund can be obtained on items taken out of the country; provided the total value exceeds R250 per claim. No goods consumed or... More »»		Rivers and Waterways The most important rivers are the Orange, Vaal, Tugela and Limpopo. The Orange River has its source in the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho and it flows westward across the dry Karoo and Bushmanland,... More »»
Road Travel and Public Transport The road network is well developed and of a high standard. All major international and a number of local car hire companies are represented in South Africa. Easy access to car hire from all major... More »»		Security Crime is a problem in all major Cities across the world, which need not impact on the enjoyment of your holiday in the country as long as you are aware of various facts: * Certain inner city areas... More »»

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa Travel

Brief History

MOST POPULAR AREAS:

COUNTRIES & REGIONS:

Tours covering South Africa

South Africa - Tourist Information

Map of South Africa