Page 29 - Diplomatists Nov

SP E CIAL REPOR T

INDIA – SOUTH

AFRICA RELATIONS:

HISTORICAL GOODWILL

AND A VISION FOR Introduction

THE FUTURE India and South Africa have had relations and
contacts for hundreds of years. Records trace these
relations to the late 15th century. By then, it is
BY DR. PAUL CHIUDZA BANDA* alleged that Indians were already found in parts of
South Africa, where for instance, it was an Indian
who helped to transport the Portuguese explorer,
Vasco da Gama, from Natal to India, at the close
of that century. In the 18th century, India became
part of the British Empire, a process that only
ended in the immediate aftermath of the Second
World War in 1947. Similarly, at the beginning of
the 19th century, South Africa also fell under the
British Empire, a process that continued well into
the 20th century. Those relations then increased
the movements of peoples in either direction, with
most of the movements facilitated by the waters of
the Indian Ocean which both countries share. As of
the year 2020, there are over 1.6 million people of
Indian descent resident in South Africa. There are
also hundreds of South African peoples currently
involved in trade and academics in Indian schools
and universities. This article traces the relations
between the two countries, during the colonial era,
during the fight for independence, and during the

post-colonial period. The current picture, as will be
highlighted later, is that the relationship between
these two “middle power” countries, has grown
from strength to strength.

Colonial Era Connections: 19th And 20th
Centuries
Once British colonial rule was entrenched in
South Africa, the British colonists relied on Indians
to perform several roles. Among them included
working as indentured workers in plantations,
and constructing roads, railways, and government
buildings in South Africa. Some Indians also
became government workers and yet others,
especially the Sikhs, joined the police force in that
country. In economic terms, Indian businessmen,
from such areas as Bengal, Bombay, Calcutta, and
Madras, also trekked to South Africa to establish

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 8 • Issue 9 • November 2020, Noida • 29