The South African Civilization And Development Of South Africa

Imagine you have just completed a trip through the early kingdoms and city-states of East, Central, and South Africa. Your family and friends ask you about the trip. Your task is to give them an oral history of your experience. You may choose to write your account, record it, or make a video. Remember, your family and friends will share your story and pass it on to future generations, like oral historians in Africa. Make it fascinating! No one wants to hear a boring story.

Africa, a majestic country, with abundance of natural resources and have one of the most advanced civilization that took place along the Nile river from 3,000BCE, was a peaceful continent. Thousands of tribes in Africa developed their own rich and distinctive languages, cultures, and religions from one another. Among all the tribes, “Zulu” was the most well-known tribe consisting 22% of the 45 million South Africans, formally established in the early 19th century in KwaZulu-Natal province, which is along the Indian Ocean; northeastern part of current Africa. Just like all the tribes, Zulu always thanked the mother nature and treated their environment with mindful care and dignity. The subtropical climate and fertile plains of KwaZulu-Natal province enabled Zulu members to cultivate bountiful crops and fruits. Every year, they celebrated numerous traditional festivals, but far most interesting one

American and Native Americans felt that they were being denied economic independence and democratic self-government during the 19th century, because at the peak of western expansion and industrialization the government was manipulated by big corporations. The government needed money to fulfill this ‘destiny’ so big companies such as the railroads and the mining companies would pay out the government to establish their businesses. Many small local businesses were wiped out by these large and well-funded business. Many groups of people were affected by industrialization. Native Americans were forced to move out of their lands and assimilate to the U.S. government’s demands. In the South African Americans were strategically forced in to a certain type of slavery called sharecropping. As industrialization arouse, so did flocks of farmers and immigrants moved into the big cities to work in factories. The working class worked long hours in unsafe conditions at corporate facilities, they were treated as a number that could be replace the next day.

In the 1830s, the British Government began to look to South Africa for the abundant gold and diamond in the area, as well as, with the hopes of gaining control of the most strategic port and route to trade with India. The British acted quickly, and started to take control of the cape of South Africa. In 1833, they emancipated the Afrikaners’ slaves, created more taxes, and auctioned off previously communal land. This caused great rage within the Boer community. The Boers were Dutch and Huguenot people that migrated to South Africa in the late 17th century (Great Trek). Starting in 1835, the Boers left their homeland with the goal of starting a new life free from British rule. The majority of the migrants left from the Eastern frontier of South

The more you explore the world the more you learn about new and exotic things, but can you use “eccentric” articles of clothing for Halloween or just for fun? Well, in reality, NO! You’re probably thinking "Why would anybody be offended? I'm appreciating the culture! ” Actually, you're doing more harm than good by implying that you're with the oppression of the minority you're "borrowing" from.

Throughout the 18th and 19th century, Europe underwent an Industrial Revolution. People began relying heavily on machines. Various countries required resources for their industrial lifestyle, and thus they enforced a policy of imperialism. Imperialism is when a country politically, economically, and socially stronger takes control over a weaker country and utilizes the resources from that country. However, many countries abused their power during imperialism. European nations are guilty of abuse of power in the Congo, India, and South Africa.

Imperialism is when a country extends their control over foreign countries to obtain land that is beneficial to them and this happens in the form of colonies. Many European countries colonized South Africa because of its abundance of many resources that they wanted. The imperialism in South Africa had both positive and negative impacts to different racial groups. While the Europeans benefited the original occupants were oppressed. Through the apartheid, which is racial segregation, black people were separated from each other, they lost political and economic power, and were forcibly removed from their land.

The county of South Africa is an economically flourishing country and probably the most advanced country on the continent of Africa. However the entire continent of Africa is probably the most undeveloped part of the world. Why is South Africa so different from the rest of its continent? Karen Politis Virk explains that it is because of South Africa’s developed economy and diverse population (Virk 40). South Africa has three main ethnic groups: African, Afrikaners, and the mixed race. The Afrikaners and mixed races have many roots to Europe and Asia giving the nation even more diversity and a culture melting pot. This set the nation apart from the rest of the African nation in which the majority of the residents are of native African

South Africa’s capital is Cape town and the country itself is about twice the size of Texas which measures out to 471,011square miles.

UNESCO (n.d.). The Emergence of Modern Humans: The Pleistocene occupation sites of South Africa. Retrieved October 01, 2016, from

This ethnography studies a group of indigenous peoples in the Southern region of Africa in the Kalahari Desert, where the ‘Kung San foragers live. Anthropologist Richard B. Lee, centers his studies on a specific group called the Ju/’Hoansi who live in this desert in an area known as the Dobe. By the 1970’s the Dobe Ju/’Hoansi had become the last remaining group of foragers in the world and an exquisite example of a hunter gatherer society. With his book, Lee continues to document these people’s social structure, beliefs, and rituals as anthropologists have done before him. Lee Begins by describing his extensive journey of getting to the Dobe region in detail. From his first interest

Many of the contemporary issues in South Africa can easily be associated with the apartheid laws which devastated the country. The people of South Africa struggle day by day to reverse “the most cruel, yet well-crafted,” horrific tactic “of social engineering.” The concept behind apartheid emerged in 1948 when the nationalist party took over government, and the all-white government enforced “racial segregation under a system of legislation” . The central issues stem from 50 years of apartheid include poverty, income inequality, land ownership rates and many other long term affects that still plague the brunt of the South African population while the small white minority still enjoy much of the wealth, most of the land and opportunities

South African heritage and culture is immensely diverse, and consists of many different groups of people who each have their own traditions and beliefs. Having such a diversity of people and cultures is what makes South Africa so unique. In the true sense of the phrase, we are a rainbow nation.

South Africa endured one of the worst colonialisation any country could have went through, whereby the Apartheid regime objectively disregarded the economic participation of the black over to those of the white population. However, the new democratic government would thereby be challenged with effectively having to deal with the challenges in which the past government had left behind. Therefore, in effectively trying to deal with the issues, alternative approaches have to be implemented in order to deliver on the challenges of the public. On the contrary, this essay will critically compare and discuss the liberal and free market, as well as the state interventionist approach as alternative solutions in dealing with current issues of social security, the health and school systems. Which would be able to transform current developmental challenges facing South Africa. In summary, the essay will thereby state which approach can transform South Africa in effectively dealing with developmental challenges currently facing South Africa.

South Africa’s past is one that is rooted in inequalities and injustices; racism and subjugation. Our Constitution was promulgated into law by South Africa’s first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela, twenty years ago in 1996.