South Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa.

Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun uMzantsi meaning "south", is a colloquial name for South Africa, while some Pan-Africanist political parties prefer the term "Azania".

History

Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River (now the northern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe) by the 4th or 5th century CE. The Bantu slowly moved south. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoisan people.

At the time of European contact, the dominant ethnic group was Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated from other parts of Africa about one thousand years before. The two major historic groups were the Xhosa and Zulu peoples.

In 1652, a century and a half after the discovery of the Cape sea route, Jan van Riebeeck established a victualling station at the Cape of Good Hope, at what would become Cape Town, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. In time, the Cape became home to a large population of vrijlieden, also known as vrijburgers (lit. 'free citizens'), former company employees who stayed in Dutch territories overseas after serving their contracts. Dutch traders also brought thousands of enslaved people to the fledgling colony from Indonesia, Madagascar, and parts of eastern Africa. Some of the earliest mixed race communities in the country were formed between vrijburgers, enslaved people, and indigenous peoples. This led to the development of a new ethnic group, the Cape Coloureds, most of whom adopted the Dutch language and Christian faith.

The eastward expansion of Dutch colonists ushered in a series of wars with the southwesterly migrating Xhosa tribe, known as the Xhosa Wars, as both sides competed for the pastureland near the Great Fish River. Vrijburgers who became independent farmers on the frontier were known as Boers, with some adopting semi-nomadic lifestyles being denoted as trekboers. The Boers formed loose militias, which they termed commandos, and forged alliances with Khoisan peoples to repel Xhosa raids. Both sides launched bloody but inconclusive offensives, and sporadic violence, often accompanied by livestock theft, remained common for several decades.

Great Britain occupied Cape Town between 1795 and 1803 to prevent it from falling under the control of the French First Republic, which had invaded the Low Countries. After briefly returning to Dutch rule under the Batavian Republic in 1803, the Cape was occupied again by the British in 1806. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it was formally ceded to Great Britain and became an integral part of the British Empire. British emigration to South Africa began around 1818, subsequently culminating in the arrival of the 1820 Settlers. The new colonists were induced to settle for a variety of reasons, namely to increase the size of the European workforce and to bolster frontier regions against Xhosa incursions.

The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior started the Mineral Revolution and increased economic growth and immigration. This intensified British efforts to gain control over the indigenous peoples. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor in relations between Europeans and the indigenous population and also between the Boers and the British.

The Boer Republics successfully resisted British encroachments during the First Boer War (1880–1881) using guerrilla warfare tactics, which were well-suited to local conditions. The British returned in the Second Boer War (1899–1902). Over 27,000 Boer women and children died in the British concentration camps.

Eight years after the end of the Second Boer War and after four years of negotiation, an act of the British Parliament (South Africa Act 1909) granted nominal independence, while creating the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.

In 1931, the union was fully sovereign from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster, which abolished the last powers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to legislate on the country.

In 1934, the South African Party and National Party merged to form the United Party, seeking reconciliation between Afrikaners and English-speaking whites. In 1939, the party split over the entry of the Union into World War II as an ally of the United Kingdom, a move which the National Party followers strongly opposed.

In 1948, the National Party was elected to power. It strengthened the racial segregation begun under Dutch and British colonial rule. The nationalist government classified all peoples into three races and developed rights and limitations for each. The white minority (less than 20%) controlled the vastly larger black majority. The legally institutionalised segregation became known as apartheid. While whites enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, comparable to First World Western nations, the black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy.

On 31 May 1961, the country became a republic following a referendum (only open to white voters) which narrowly passed.

The Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith, signed by Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz in 1974, enshrined the principles of peaceful transition of power and equality for all, the first of such agreements by black and white political leaders in South Africa.

In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment remained high. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of black people worsened between 1994 and 2003 by official metrics, but declined significantly using expanded definitions.

Population and Geography

With over 60 million people, it is the world's 23rd-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles). South Africa has three capital cities: executive Pretoria, judicial Bloemfontein and legislative Cape Town. The largest city is Johannesburg.

About 80% of South Africans are of Black African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White South Africans), Asian (Indian South Africans and Chinese South Africans), and Multiracial (Coloured South Africans) ancestry.

South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. Its has 11 official languages. According to the 2011 census, the two most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%) and Xhosa (16.0%).[9] The two next ones are of European origin: Afrikaans (13.5%) developed from Dutch; English (9.6%) reflects the legacy of British colonialism, and is commonly used in public and commercial life.

It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (former Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho.

It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the most populous country located entirely south of the equator. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with a diversity of unique biomes and plant and animal life.

Magical Culture

South African witches and wizards had the option to attend Uagadou School of Magic, though from 1961 Towerkuns Akademie became an alternative, and is the alma mater of Duna Gazini[1]

There is magical black market activity around Cape Town.

Nundus, Fwoopers and Erumpents are found here.

There is a goblin population in South Africa.[2]

Wixes here may use staffs instead of wands, or may not use any kind of channelling device at all to use their magic.

In the 1950s, in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa Duna Gazini's father was a strong herbalist within the Zulu tribe. Although many Zulu were Christian at the time they still clung to their old beliefs of ancestor worship and herbal healing. There were families that were more gifted than others because of their magic. Herbology, healing and divination were common pursuits. These were part of the earthier form of African magic.

The South African Pixie Virus might be a thing[3]

More Recent Events

In February 2011, a Nundu was spotted by Omari Warrington around Tzaneen.[4]

There is a strong, welcoming wix community in Hazyview where a speciality is fried streeler.[5]

In Durban, duelling contests take place.[6] There is a lot of wandless magic.

At Kroonstad, quidditch is played in the All-Africa Cup (AAC). Teams playing in March 2011 included Sumbawanga Sunrays and the Clocalan Cloud-Chasers.[7]

South Africa at AO

• Ira Almasy considered marble from South Africa for Zel Trumble's cell, as researched by Johann Storm[8]
• Silas Bardigan, wandmaker spent time studying in South Africa[9] 'intrigued by the marriage of British descendants’ wandmaking styles with the native African skill in wandless magic.'
• Dalyrn Deschaine lived there briefly aged 6. His mother had a job researching indigenous magical cultures. His wand was made for him by a tribal shaman after, completely by accident, distracting a wounded Nundu with an outburst of juvenile magic, which allowed one of the tribesmen to deal a killing blow to the beast. The beast would have otherwise destroyed the isolated settlement. The wand was crafted using one of the Nundu's whiskers.[10]
• Nora Dobbins travelled through
• Isaac Fraiser has potentially written a book about the country[11]
• Ophelia Grimlish and Cassiopeia Grimlish's father, Osgood Grimlish moved the family to South Africa in 1997 to escape Voldemort. They stayed for 3 years, setting up a small refugee camp for others displaced by the war. Osgood used this experience to write a book on African magic while his daughters used it to get to know and help the local population. 'For their efforts, they were treated as a member of the tribe and awarded with honorary warriorship.'[12]
• Camelia Lyons parents met in South Africa on a digging trip to uncover an old tomb in August 1993.
• Tulojow Nagde has visited[13], and joined in the protests against the Apartheid in South Africa and the Civil Rights movement in the South in 1960.[14]. She was sent on first overseas assignment to South Africa to investigate source of illegal imported dragon eggs in 1966. After successful completion of assignment, it was clear Tulojow has managed to develop a report with many of the outerlying magically-influenced population. Tulojow remained in South Africa for six years.[15] In September 1969 she went out on a mission along the northern border of South Africa, and a flash flood destroyed her home and claims the lives of her children. In 1976 she joined the Soweto uprising. She receives post from someone there[16]
• Squib Hanna Schäfer has South African heritage[17]
• Analiza Snark was in South Africa in the late 1990s[18]
• Nona Spectre built werewolf safe houses in South Africa for nearly two years, working with some of the indigenous populations, trying to increase her understanding of the cultural implications of the infection in other parts of the world.[19]
• Josephine St. Just visited as a child[20]
• Taras Strelnikov operated criminal rings in South Africa[21]
• Pollux Thursby travelled through South Africa[22]
• Omari Warrington had his leg blown off by an erumpent in South Africa. Local goblins crafted his replacement leg.[23] He later returned to travel round South Africa during February and March 2011[24], the Warrington family has roots in the country[25]

South African Born Characters at Absit Omen

• Mbali Engelbrecht (NPC) duelling champion met by Omari Warrington in February 2011[26] who specialises in wandless elemental magic.
• Duna Gazini Head of the Office for African Relations in the Department of International Cooperation in May 2008.[27]
• Elsabe Ndlovu (Hope) witch turned vampire
• Primbly - a South African book publisher, described as a 'beanstalk of a man' by Barnabas Cuffe in 2006[28]
• Peter Thackeray - born 1916, Cape Malay, Cape Town. The Union of South Africa, dominion of the British Empire.