Southern Africa

Introduction
Southern Africa before the 15th century
- Early humans and Stone Age society
- The Khoisan
- The spread of Bantu languages
- Food production
- The rise of more complex states
  - Toutswe
  - Swahili culture
  - Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe
  - Torwa, Mutapa, and Rozwi
  - Small-scale societies
European and African interaction from the 15th through the 18th century
- The Portuguese in west-central Africa
  - The Imbangala
  - The Chokwe
  - The Ovimbundu
- The Portuguese in southeastern Africa
  - The Zambezi valley
  - Other southeastern African states
  - The declining power of the Portuguese
- The Dutch at the Cape
  - First Khoekhoe-Dutch contact
  - Boer expansion
  - Slavery at the Cape
  - Khoisan resistance to the Dutch
  - Xhosa-Dutch conflict
European and African interaction in the 19th century
- “Legitimate” trade and the persistence of slavery
  - The continuation of the slave trade
  - Effects of the slave trade
- The “time of turmoil”
  - Causes of the Mfecane
  - Shaka and the creation of the Zulu
  - Increasing violence in other parts of Southern Africa
    - The Mfengu and the Mantatee
    - Moshoeshoe
    - Mzilikazi
    - The Kololo
- British development of the Cape Colony
  - Changes in the status of Africans
  - Continuing settler-Xhosa wars
  - Growth of missionary activity
- The expansion of white settlement
  - The Republic of Natalia and the British colony of Natal
  - Voortrekker republics in the interior
  - The Orange Free State and Basutoland
- Minerals and the scramble for Southern Africa
  - The diamond industry
  - The discovery of gold
- The annexation of Southern Africa
  - Cecil Rhodes in Southern Africa
  - Expropriation of African land
- Portugal and Germany in Southern Africa
  - Colonists in Angola and Mozambique
  - Angola and Mozambique in the late 19th century
  - Germans in South West Africa
Southern Africa, 1899–1945
- The South African War
- The nature of colonial rule
  - The changing labour market
  - Changes for Afrikaners
  - Growth of racism
  - Basutoland, Bechuanaland, and Swaziland
  - Ovamboland
  - Rhodesia
    - Southern Rhodesia
    - Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia
  - Settlers in Mozambique and Angola
  - Class and ethnic tensions among white settlers
- Land, labour, and taxation
  - White agriculture and African reserves
  - The invention of tribalism
  - Labour and the mining industry
  - The impact of migrant labour
  - Urbanization and manufacturing
- The African response
  - Royal family politics
  - Political organizations and trade unions
  - Christianity and African popular religion
- The impact of World War II
Independence and decolonization in Southern Africa
- The consolidation of white rule in Southern Africa
- Peaceful independence
  - Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland
  - The Central African Federation
  - Malawi and Zambia
- The struggle for independence
  - Angola and Mozambique
  - Zimbabwe
  - South West Africa
  - Namibia
  - South Africa

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Physical map of southern Africa showing elevation with color shading, major rivers including the Orange River, national boundaries, cities, mountain ranges, deserts such as the Kalahari, and features like salt flats, swamps, and waterfalls. Surrounding countries include Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. An inset locator map highlights the region within the African continent.

Explore Southern Africa's landscape, undulating plateaus, the Great Escarpment, and grasslands

Map of the Zambezi River basin in southern Africa, showing the river's course, major tributaries, dams, waterfalls, and rapids. The map highlights physical features such as elevation, major cities, and country boundaries, with a locator inset indicating the basin's position on the African continent. Areas subject to flooding and key bridges are also marked.

Kalahari desert

African elephant

Tentative distribution of the Khoisan languages

Thematic map of Africa showing the distribution of Niger-Congo language branches. Distinct colors represent language groups such as Atlantic, Mande, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo, and Bantu, with Bantu languages covering most of central, eastern, and southern Africa. A numbered key lists prominent languages in each area, and country borders are marked for reference.

Related Questions

Namib desert — Namib desert Sand dunes and vegetation at Sossusvlei in the Namib desert, Namibia.

Southern Africa

region, Africa

Written by

Shula E. Marks

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Southern Africa, southernmost region of the African continent, comprising the countries of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The island nation of Madagascar is excluded because of its distinct language and cultural heritage. The interior of Southern Africa consists of a series of undulating plateaus that cover most of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana and extend into central Angola. Contiguous with this are uplands in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Coastal...

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