South Africa History

In the late 15th century the South African coast was often visited by the Portuguese. The first place in the country where the invaders made a colony was Cape Town. By the early 1700s, the colonists had occupied the nearest mountain ranges. A century later the British made Cape the base against the French. South Africa was a country of slaves but step by step slavery had become less profitable because of a depression in the wine industry. The South African Republic (Transvaal) was annexed by Britain in 1877. A turning point in the history of South Africa was the discovery of the Witwatersrand goldfields. It gave the background for modern South African industrial state. The World War, the experience of the Second World War and post-war economic difficulties enhanced discontent. The 1960s was a decade of overwhelming repression and relative political disarray among blacks in the country. The first democratic election in South Africa was held in April 1994. Nowadays the main priority of democratic South Africa is the integration into the global political, economic and social system.