Afrikaners – Africa’s White Tribe

Afrikaners – Africa’s White Tribe Latest News

Recently, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State welcomed the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the United States.

Who Are the Afrikaners?

• Afrikaners are a white ethnic group native to South Africa, shaped through ethnogenesis on African soil, and are often referred to as “Africa’s White Tribe” due to their deep-rooted historical presence since the 17th century.
• Origin: The Afrikaner community originated in 1652, when Jan van Riebeeck, under the Dutch East India Company (VOC), established a resupply station at the Cape of Good Hope, initially settled by Dutch Protestants.
• Over time, the settlers included French Huguenots fleeing persecution after the Edict of Fontainebleau (1685), along with Germans and enslaved people from India, Indonesia, Madagascar, and East Africa, contributing to the ethnic mix.

Formation of Afrikaner Identity

• A unique Afrikaner identity developed through interactions among Europeans, slaves, and the indigenous Khoikhoi, marked by paternalistic household systems, strict social hierarchies, and the development of Afrikaans as a distinct language.
• Afrikaners were influenced by Calvinist values, frontier living, and a militant, self-reliant culture, especially among the Trekboers who moved inland in the 18th century and often engaged in violent conflicts with indigenous communities.

‹ ›

Afrikaners – Africa’s White Tribe FAQs

Q1: Who are the Afrikaners?
Ans: Afrikaners are an ethnic group of Dutch descent in South Africa, descended primarily from 17th-century Dutch settlers.

Q2: Why are Afrikaners called Africa’s “White Tribe”?
Ans: Despite being of European origin, their long history in Africa has earned them the identity of a “White Tribe” indigenous to the continent.

Source: DTE