People have inhabited Southern Africa for thousands of years.The earliest peoples' in South Africa were the San and Khoekhoe peoples known as the Bushmen and Hottentots or Khoikhoi or collectively called the Khoisan. These people saw hope in the land beacause they were located right by water and the land was thereby very fertile. These early people were mostly hunter- gatherers and the Khoisan lived in well- watered areas, chiefly in the soutrthern and western coastal strips, where there was adequate grazing.They were very sustainable and found ways to use the land in a good way. After the Khoisan, a new group of people arose, who were the Bantu- speaking people. They moved to the north eastern and eastern regions of South Africa coming from the central part of Africa. They arrived hundreds of years before the Europeans but they are still an important group living in South Africa today. These people were actually agro- pastoralists, who had a culture based off of iron and sophisticated socio- politcal systems. After groups such as the Khoisan and the Bantu- speaking people started to call South Africa home, European settlers began to arrive. So, there was a huge assimilation of culture between the South Africans and the Euopean seafarers. In 1488,the Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.In the coming years, white settlement began to increase, when the Dutch East India Company established a provisioning station on the Cape. In the following decades, French Huguenot refugees, the Dutch, and Germans began to settle in South Africa and this caused social and political effects on the original people. The Europeans eventually took complete conrol of South Africa, in the 18th century, by winning the Frontier War. Beginning in 1836, to escape British rule and cultural hegemony, many Afrikaner farmers (Boers) made a migration to the north that became known as the "Great Trek." This movement brought them into contact and conflict with African groups such as the Zulus. The Zulus conquered most of the territory between the Drakensberg Mountains and the sea during their time before they were defeated. The discovery of diamonds at Kimberley in 1870 and the discovery of large gold deposits in the Witwatersrand region of the Transvaal in 1886 caused an influx of European (mainly British) immigration and investment. In addition, many blacks from neighboring countries also moved into the area to work in the mines. In 1948, the National Party (NP) took complete dominion and began passing legislation and enforcing an even stricter policy of white domination and racial separation known as "apartheid". The Apartheid was fought by people like Nelson Mandela through guerilla warfare and sabotage and South Africans were finally able to get their freedom on February 1990, when State President F.W. de Klerk came into power.He announced the unbanning of the ANC, the PAC, and all other anti-apartheid groups. This also created a domino effect with Nelson Madela being released from prison, "pillars of apartheid" were abolished, nonracial elections were held and Nelson Madela become president in 1994. During Nelson Mandela's 5-year term as President of South Africa, the government committed itself to reforming the country through improving unemployment, housing shortages, and crime. Mandela also began to reintroduce South Africa into the global economy by implementing the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR).Also, in order to move away from the scars of apartheid, the government created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). So, during this time period, the country became very sustainable and rebuilding was of upmost concern. The Europenas exploited the land in their rule and Nelson Mandela's administration wanted to fix this. So, there is a long history of South Africa starting with the Khoisan people, to the Bantu- speaking people, to the Afrikaners,Europens, Zulu's and Whites. Originally,the people moved to South Africa for pastoralism and agriculture. South Africa was a rich land area especially the Cape of Good Hope.Known for the stormy weather and rough seas, the Cape is situated at the convergence of the warm Mozambique-Agulhas current from the Indian Ocean and the cool Benguela current from Antarctic waters. Grass and low shrub vegetation is characteristic of it.It has rich flora and fauna and this is what attracted people to the area and what still attracts people.The Cape plays an important role in South African history as a stopping point for trading ships sailing between Europe and European colonies in the east. It was a huge trading center in Africa and that is why people started to migrate and live there.The Europeans, specifically, were in search of wealth and had political interests there.The Europeans found wealth in the vast gold and diamond deposits, so they stayed. Many Blacks also moved to South Africa to work in the mines for the Europeans. So, transportation was mostly through ships with Europeans traveling to and from their country while also bringing along slaves. Boats were the only way these slaves and trading peoples could get to South Africa. However, many of the ancient people did not stay in South Africa because of the "Great Trek", conflicts with people such as the Zulus,and the Apartheid that caused many South Africans to leave the area. Therefore,there is a huge white population in South Africa today because many of the original South Africans moved away during the Apartheid or were killed.
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