Diamonds and the Transformation of Southern Africa

The discovery of diamonds in 1867 in Griqualand ultimately transformed the entire region of Southern Africa. Huge European financial investment and significant immigration followed. The diamonds led to Britain taking over Griqualand and the Boer republic of Transvaal, and to the conquest of the Zulu Kingdom. When the riches of the Kimberley diamond mines were added to by the discovery of massive gold deposits in Witwatersrand in 1886, Britain went to war with the Boers and proceeded to annex African territories in order to ensure their total dominance of the region. The diamond and gold mines, which demanded an insatiable supply of cheap labour, also transformed local economies and cultures, laying the foundations for a system of racial segregation that would not be abolished until the late 20th century.