Early History of South Africa

Timeline of Events in Southern Africa

• Hunter-gatherers lived in Southern Africa for hundreds of thousands of years.
• 700: Farmers were established in the Eastern Cape.
• 200: The first farmers arrived and settled along the Indian Ocean coastline.
• 350: The first farmers moved inland along the river valleys from the coast.
• 1000: Farmers started settling on the Highveld grasslands.
• 1652: The Dutch settled in the Cape.
• 1994: First democratic election in South Africa.

The First Farmers in Southern Africa

• The first farmers moved into South-Eastern Africa around 200CE.
• They kept cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens.
• The farmers used iron to make weapons and tools.
• They lived in large groups and many people were needed to work in the fields.
• People lived in homesteads with huts, areas to store food, and communal areas.

Farming Practices

• Farmers grew two types of crops: sorghum and millet.
• They kept animals for eggs, milk, and meat.
• Cattle were a source of wealth and status in the community.
• The Mafisa System allowed cattle to be lent to other people for breeding purposes.
• Bride-wealth or Lobola was a payment to the wife's family, usually in cattle.

Tools and Weapons

• The early African farmers used iron to make spear tips, hammers, hoes, and axes.
• Iron ore was mined and turned into liquid metal through smelting.
• Men shaped the liquid iron into tools and weapons.

Pottery

• Archaeologists have found many examples of pottery made by the first farmers.
• The Lydenburg heads are a famous example of Iron Age pottery.
• Pottery was used for ornaments, ceremonies, and everyday uses.

Trade

• The first farmers were involved in trading networks inside Africa and with people from other parts of the world.
• Traders from the middle-east traded along the east coast of Africa from about 100-200CE.
• Africans traded ivory, gold, and steel for goods from other parts of the world.