Colonial Era & Slavery

Before the Europeans arrived, the Khoikhoi (herders) and San (hunters and gatherers) had lived at the Cape for tens of thousands of years. They called Table Mountain "Hoerikwaggo" — Mountain in the Sea. Their history was almost entirely erased by colonization.

The Dutch (1652–1795)

Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape on April 6, 1652 — not to settle, but to establish a refreshment station for the ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on their way to Asia. The Company's Garden in Cape Town is the historical site of this first vegetable garden. What began as a supply base quickly became a colony: The VOC brought slaves from Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and India — their descendants today form the Cape Malay and "Coloured" communities of Cape Town. The Khoikhoi were displaced, killed, or enslaved as laborers.

The British (1795–1910)

The British took over the Cape in 1795 (permanently in 1806) and introduced the English language, legal system, and — crucially — the abolition of slavery in 1834. However, the former slaves largely remained without land, education, and political rights. Many Boers (Dutch settlers) left the Cape Colony in the "Great Trek" northward to escape British control — the beginning of a division that continues to shape South Africa today.