Trends in Colonization and Independence of Southern African Countries

Introduction:

While we were doing our research we came across certain trends unique to Southern African countries. The region of Southern Africa was some raw materials such as diamonds, gold and other mining resources. Due to its prime location, it was a hotspot for weary European travellers who needed a place to dock their ships during their long journeys to and from India. This made Southern Africa an important port area that was utilized quite often. It was a prime location as a midpoint between Europe and India. European presence was strong early in Southern Africa because of this, and some sort of foreign presence dates back to around the 1600s (with the Dutch East India Company), which was much earlier than other African countries in the East and West.

Why was Southern Africa the earliest in terms of European presence?

The Dutch were the first to start colonizing Southern Africa, primarily because it is located halfway between however after the Napoleonic wars Dutch lost control and the British took over. Besides resources, there was an overall want and desire for power and land. There was a rivalry between Britain and France, which led to a sort of "land grab" over the countries in Africa. Britain felt that in order to maintain its status as a world power it needed more colonies and land than its adversaries. The subsequent Scramble for Africa and Berlin Conference reflected this idea as well.

Themes

(Indirect British rule): The British mostly used indirect rule, and for most of the countries we researched, self-made governments were able to function somewhat under this regime. The British would export representatives to Africa to create these governments, using locals as makeshift government representatives. When the British couldn't find a chief already in charge, they would get someone from Britain. Basically, if they didn't already have a chief, a puppet leader would be inserted to keep order and maintain British/colonial rule. Political parties were also extremely significant in each of our regions in their route to independence. They were an important catayst in moving the country towards independence and away from colonial rule. Another theme is (Lack of raw materials): even though Southern Africa could be considered very rich in resources, most of these resources weren't discovered easily or quickly. When the lands were colonized, it was not to gain resources from the land but to gain the land and title itself. In the first years of colonization no valuable raw materials could be found, rendering the land futile, except for extra living space.