Transvaal 1892

The modern history of South Africa begins in the 19th century, but the nation's identity formation traces back to the medieval era. The Khoekhoe people, the first tribes in South Africa, inhabited the Western Cape province around 1000 AD. Over the following centuries, the central part of the country, including the Northern Cape, Free State, and Eastern Cape provinces, saw the dominance of the Sotho tribe with pockets of Hlubi and Basuto clans extending towards present-day Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Other tribes like Tlokwa, Nguni, Ndebele, Rolong, Swazi, and more arrived in the medieval era and continued to form societies until the early 1500s, when the Portuguese made the first European arrival on the coast of present-day Mozambique.

South Africa remained untouched by colonization until the mid-1650s when the Dutch arrived at Cape Colony in the southwest corner of the country. In the northeastern part of the region, indigenous nations such as Ndwandwe, Mthethwa, Ndebele, Hlubis, and Swazi had established themselves. In the 19th century, the Zulu Empire emerged in this area, marking an important era and becoming the first to conflict with the British Empire. The Zulus engaged in battles with both smaller clans and the advancing British and Dutch-speaking Voortrekkers – the original European settlers who opposed the British presence. The Voortrekkers, traveling in wagons, became a crucial turning point in South Africa's colonial history.

During the mid-1800s, the Voortrekkers established independent nations in the central and northern parts of South Africa, such as Potchefstroom-Winsberg Republic, Waterboer's Land, Campbell Lands, Ohrigstad, and Lydenburg. While this was happening in northern South Africa, the British established one of the earliest settlements on the coast of the Zulu Empire, named St. Lucia Bay, in 1853. The Dutch-speaking settlements united in the same year to form the first South African Republic or Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, resisting British influence. The constant conflicts with both original Dutch settlers and native tribes, along with British forces, led to the gradual colonization of South African territories as part of the broader 'Scramble for Africa' policy.

In 1877, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek was renamed Transvaal, representing the territories beyond the Vaal River. The struggle between Transvaal's independence and British colonialism lasted from 1877 to 1900, culminating in September 1900. A decade later, Transvaal integrated into the Union of South Africa and continued as a province until 1994. With the abolishment of apartheid, the province was divided into Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and parts of North West.

Examining old maps, the regions of northern South Africa were once dominated by the country of Monomotapa and Caffaria. Monomotapa is a Portuguese mispronunciation of the old kingdom of Motapa, known as Mwene we Mutapa in the regional language. The term Caffaria, rooted in racism, was used to discriminate natives based on their color. By the mid-1700s, maps began to display the names of native tribes, such as Chainouquas, Gouriquas, Sonquas, on a 1756 dated French map. By the late 18th century, Southern Africa appeared marked with various territories like The Land of the Hottentots, Country of the Namaguas, Tambookies, Hambrona, Capelleh, Cambedoo, etc.

In an interesting historical note, a 1856 American map featured an area named 'Vaal River,' comprising the territory south of the Vaal River to around Welkom city in the Free State province. This sheds light on the logic behind Dutch settlements uniting to form the South African Republic, famously known as 'Transvaal,' signifying its location beyond the Vaal River to the north. The name Transvaal subsequently appeared on maps, becoming a significant landmark in South African history. Below is a map depicting 19th-century Transvaal.