How did World War II affect white rule in Southern Africa?

Paradoxically, while World War II stimulated African nationalist movements and political activism, its immediate aftermath in Southern Africa led to the consolidation of white rule rather than its decline.12

The war’s impact on white supremacy was twofold:

• Political Consolidation: In South Africa, fears of urban African militancy and dissatisfaction with the wartime government fueled the 1948 victory of the National Party. This government implemented apartheid, a system designed to entrench white power, protect white supremacy, and strictly police racial distinctions. Similarly, Britain facilitated the creation of the Central African Federation, and the region saw a surge in white immigration to the Rhodesias, Angola, Mozambique, and South West Africa.2
• Economic Expansion: The war boosted regional economies, particularly in manufacturing and mining. While this growth benefited white estate owners and the European enclave, it also spurred the organization of African workers and trade unions, creating a large, disaffected constituency that fueled future anticolonial resistance.13

Although the war’s end brought international censure of racial policies, white regimes successfully utilized economic growth and repressive legislation to maintain control for decades.2