When did Apartheid start?

By the time I was born in Johannesburg, Apartheid was already in place. Under this system, I wasn’t white and I didn’t belong. Like many people in a similar ‘classification,’ I can’t say I really noticed - because it was my normal of course and if history has taught us anything, it’s that human being can normalise any atrocity.

    While apartheid legislation became law in 1948, in my novel The Karman Line, I start events from the 1920s. As anyone who isn’t a white man can tell you, racism is far, far older than that - and during the rise of European empires, it had the backing of the most powerful institutions of the day: The military (not forgetting the navy), the fledgeling mercantile institutions - and of course, the church.

    Apartheid, the system of institutionalised racial segregation that defined South Africa for much of the 20th century, did not emerge in a vacuum. Its roots trace back to the colonial era, shaped by European expansion, economic exploitation, and religious ideology. 

    Below is a very general summary, but I’ll take each of these centuries, decades, years, and events in turn - including the close ties between apartheid and Nazism - because we’re very near to backsliding into a horror that so many pledged never to repeat. Yet, here we are. Again.

1600s: Dutch colonisation and racial segregation

In 1652, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a supply station at the Cape of Good Hope under the leadership of Jan van Riebeeck. Initially intended as a refreshment station for ships en route to Asia, the colony expanded rapidly as Dutch settlers (Boers) arrived. They quickly enslaved Africans, both locally and from other parts of the continent, laying the foundation for a racially stratified society.

    The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), the dominant religious institution in the colony, played a significant role in shaping early racial attitudes. While some indigenous Khoisan people were converted to Christianity, the Christians were still viewed as socially and spiritually inferior. Church membership became synonymous with European identity, reinforcing a hierarchy that excluded non-whites from full participation in colonial society.

1700s: Slavery and entrenched racial hierarchies

Throughout the 18th century, racial divisions deepened as the economy became dependent on slave labour. Enslaved Africans were denied basic rights and subjected to harsh treatment. The DRC largely supported this racial order, aligning itself with settler interests and preaching a doctrine that reinforced white superiority.

1795: The British take over the Cape Colony

During the French Revolutionary Wars, Britain seized the Cape Colony in 1795 to prevent it from falling into French hands. Although Dutch rule was briefly restored in 1803 under the Treaty of Amiens, Britain reoccupied the Cape in 1806, permanently incorporating it into the British Empire.

The British introduced reforms, including the gradual abolition of slavery, which culminated in the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. These measures angered many Dutch settlers, who saw them as threats to their economic and racial dominance. As a result, thousands of Afrikaners embarked on the Great Trek, seeking to establish independent republics where they could maintain racial segregation and their ‘traditional way of life (Stop me when this sounds too familiar - and yes, the DRC had its roots in Calvinism, just like the Puritans that made their way to America.)

1838: The Great Trek and the Birth of Afrikaner Nationalism

The Great Trek led to the formation of the Boer republics, including the Transvaal and Orange Free State. These republics codified racial discrimination, denying Black South Africans land ownership, citizenship, and political rights. The Dutch Reformed Church remained central to Afrikaner identity, reinforcing the belief that white settlers were divinely chosen to rule over non-white populations.

1860s–1900s: Industrialisation and racial labour laws

The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) transformed South Africa into a major economic hub. The demand for cheap Black labour led to the implementation of restrictive laws, such as the Pass Laws, which controlled the movement of African workers. The 1894 Glen Grey Act further entrenched segregation by limiting African land ownership and forcing many into low-wage labour.

    During this period, the DRC increasingly aligned itself with Afrikaner nationalism, promoting a theological justification for racial separation. Many church leaders argued that segregation was part of God’s divine plan, further legitimising white supremacy.

1910: The Union of South Africa

Following the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), Britain and the Afrikaner republics unified to form the Union of South Africa in 1910. The new government, dominated by white leaders, quickly implemented laws that disenfranchised Black South Africans, including the 1913 Natives Land Act, which restricted Black land ownership to just 7% of the country’s land.

    The Dutch Reformed Church supported these policies, reinforcing the idea that South Africa should be a white-dominated Christian nation. Missionary activities among Black communities focused on religious conversion rather than social or political equality. The message appeared to be ‘you can become Chrstian, but you can’t become equal.’

1920s–1930s: The rise of Afrikaner nationalism

The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of Afrikaner nationalism, driven by economic hardships and Boer resentment towards British dominance. The Afrikaner Broederbond, a secret society founded in 1918, played a crucial role in shaping nationalist ideology. Made up of influential Afrikaner leaders - including politicians, academics, and church figures - the Broederbond promoted racial segregation as essential to Afrikaner survival.

    There were also close ties to the rise of the National Socialist Party in Germany - and indeed, much modelling of policy, propaganda, and ‘process’ (for lack of a better term to describe the systematic harm that not only went unsanctioned, but was actively promoted as right, good, and divine.)

    The Dutch Reformed Church was deeply intertwined with the Broederbond, with many of its members belonging to both organisations. Church leaders used their pulpits to spread nationalist propaganda, portraying Afrikaners as a chosen people destined to rule over non-whites. This ideological framework laid the groundwork for Apartheid.

1948: Apartheid becomes law

In 1948, the National Party, led by D.F. Malan won the general election on a platform of formalising racial segregation. Apartheid laws soon followed, institutionalising discrimination across all aspects of life. The Dutch Reformed Church provided theological support for the system, reinforcing the belief that racial separation was divinely ordained.

    The origins of Apartheid can be traced back centuries, shaped by economic interests, political developments, and self-interested religious ideology. The Dutch Reformed Church and the Afrikaner Broederbond played central roles in legitimising white supremacy, ensuring that racial segregation remained deeply embedded in South African society.

    By 1948, Apartheid was not just a political policy - it was the culmination of centuries of racial division, backed by both state and church institutions.