The British extracted significant wealth from South Africa primarily through the discovery and exploitation of vast diamond and gold reserves, alongside the establishment of an economy that favored British commercial and imperial interests.
Cape Governor Lord Charles Somerset decided to call for Britain to send emigrants to bolster the defences of the colony. Farms and transport were offered for the nearly 4 000 people selected, who arrived during April 1820 and became known as the 1820 Settlers.
Mining remains central, with South Africa a top global producer of platinum, gold, coal, and iron ore. Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism are also significant, contributing to employment and foreign exchange.
Following the defeat of the Boers in the Second Anglo–Boer War or South African War (1899–1902), the Union of South Africa was created as a self-governing dominion of the British Empire on 31 May 1910 in terms of the South Africa Act 1909, which amalgamated the four previously separate British colonies: Cape Colony, ...
Apartheid (which means 'apartness' in Afrikaans) was a system of entrenched racial segregation. It was the law of the land in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The roots of apartheid can be found in Dutch and British colonialism.
The first European settlement in southern Africa was established by the Dutch East India Company in Table Bay (Cape Town) in 1652. Created to supply passing ships with fresh produce, the colony grew rapidly as Dutch farmers settled to grow crops.
Years of violent internal protest, weakening white commitment, international economic and cultural sanctions, economic struggles, and the end of the Cold War brought down white minority rule in Pretoria.
Camps. The British also confined Boer families and black Africans in a network of concentration camps. As well as removing a means of support for the guerrillas, it was believed the presence of Boer families in the camps would make soldiers in the field surrender.
The terms Afrikaner and Boer can be used interchangeably, although it is common to use Boer to designate the group historically, while Afrikaner refers to them in more recent times. In 1652 the Dutch East India Company charged Jan van Riebeeck with establishing a shipping station on the Cape of Good Hope.
South African War, war fought from October 11, 1899, to May 31, 1902, between Great Britain and the two Boer (Afrikaner) republics—the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State—resulting in British victory.
The report says income and wealth are extremely concentrated in South Africa. South Africa's inequality has not changed in the past decade, with the richest 10% holding about 86% of the country's total wealth, underlining the mammoth tasks before the government to lift millions of citizens out of poverty.
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
The Cape Colony remained under Dutch rule for two more centuries, after which it was annexed by the United Kingdom around 1806. At that time, South Africa was home to about 26,000 people of European ancestry, a relative majority of whom were still of Dutch origin.
To live comfortably as a single person in SA, you'll need to take home R27,600 in South Africa in 2025. That means you, as a single person, can pay for your rent, utilities, food, transport and healthcare—and still have a bit of leeway for savings, a few luxuries, good schools and entertainment.
The term "Afrikaner" currently denotes the politically, culturally, and socially dominant and majority group among white South Africans, or the Afrikaans-speaking population of Dutch origin.
Today, many Boer communities still exist in South Africa. They celebrate their cultural heritage, traditions, and farming lifestyle. 🏡Some have modern farms, while others maintain their historical ways of life.
Differences between Afrikaans and Dutch often lie in the more analytic morphology and grammar of Afrikaans, and different spellings. There is a large degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages, especially in written form.
Although supportive of the war, even in this very early stage of his Parliamentary career he displayed an independent streak by sympathizing with the Boer cause. He declared, 'If I were a Boer I hope I should be fighting in the field' and arguing that the Boers should be offered generous peace terms when the war ended.
Britain went to war in 1899 as the imperial aggressor against two small, independent Afrikaner (or Boer) republics. The Afrikaners were descendants of Protestant Dutch, French and German refugees who had migrated in the 17th Century to the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa.
Colonial rule disrupted the traditional machinery of moral homogeneity and practice. The method of moral inculcation was vitiated, which resulted in the abandonment of traditional norms and values through a systematic depersonalisation of the African and paganisation of its values.
The result of the election was a large victory for the "yes" side, which ultimately resulted in apartheid being lifted. This was the last occasion in which only the white electorate took part. Universal suffrage was introduced two years later for the country's first non-racial elections.
Even though apartheid officially ended, many problems remain. Most land is still owned by white South Africans, and poverty continues to affect many Black communities. Access to good education, jobs, and healthcare is still unequal. Corruption and unemployment have also slowed progress.
Example: Mandela's first major political move after his release was to meet with President F.W. de Klerk to negotiate the end of apartheid. These talks eventually led to the dismantling of apartheid laws and the formation of a new constitution that enshrined equal rights for all South Africans.