| |
|---|---|
 Commemorating 300 years of Huguenot history in South Africa | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Western Cape · Gauteng · Free State · Limpopo | |
| Languages | |
| South African English · French · Afrikaans | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (mainlyCalvinism) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French Canadians (Québécois),Afrikaners,Walloons,Cajuns,Caledonians,French,Louisiana Creoles,Pieds-Noirs,Romands |
| Part ofa series of articles on the |
| French people |
|---|
 |
Africa Asia Middle East Europe
North America
South America Oceania 1Overseas parts of France properMigration of minorities inFrance (i.e.Basques) can be considered as separate (ethnically) or French migration (by nationality). |
Many people ofEuropean heritage inSouth Africa are descended fromHuguenots. The Huguenots were French Protestants who belonged to the Calvinist Reformed Church, established in 1550.[1] After facing persecution in France for decades, their situation worsened on October 22, 1685, when King Louis XIV issued theEdict of Fontainebleau. This edict revoked theEdict of Nantes which had previously granted them the right to practice their faith, and it outlawed Protestantism, leading to large-scale persecution.[2] Most Huguenots who came to South Africa originally settled in theDutch Cape Colony, but were subsequently absorbed into theAfrikaner andAfrikaans-speaking population due to religious similarities with the Dutch colonists.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. Find sources: "Huguenots in South Africa" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
_-_Huguenots_Building_their_Homesteads.jpg)
On October 3, 1685, even before the official revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the directors of theDutch East India Company (VOC) decided to send Huguenot refugees to theCape of Good Hope.[3] The decision was motivated by two factors: the Netherlands was experiencing an influx of French refugees, and the VOC sought to increase the number of colonists at the Cape to manage agricultural affairs and cattle-dealing.[4][5] The Huguenots were considered ideal settlers because they shared the Calvinist faith with the Dutch and many were highly trained craftsmen or experienced farmers, with particular skills in viticulture and oenology (winemaking).[6][7]
Even before this organized emigration, individual Huguenots had arrived at the Cape. The first was reportedly Francois Villion (later Viljoen) in October 1671.[1][8] He was followed by others, including Jean de Long (de Lange) in 1685 and the brothers Guillaume and Francois du Toit in 1686.[2] The wife of governorJan van Riebeeck,Maria de la Quellerie, was also a Huguenot who arrived in 1652, though she and her husband left for Batavia after ten years.
| This sectionrelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Huguenots in South Africa" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2025) |
Between 1688 and 1689, a total of 180 Huguenots from France and 18Walloons from present-dayBelgium settled at the Cape.[2] By 1692, the number of French Huguenots who had settled in the colony reached 201.[9] Individual families continued to arrive until the first quarter of the 18th century, with state-subsidised emigration officially ending in 1706.
The Governor of the Cape,Simon van der Stel, designated lands for the Huguenots in areas that would become known asFranschhoek ('French Corner') andDrakenstein (present-day Paarl).[1] However, he gave specific orders to intersperse the French settlers among the Dutch-speaking burghers. Van der Stel's stated reason for this policy was "that they could learn our language and morals, and be integrated with the Dutch nation".[1][9] He also feared they might "get up to mischief if war broke out again in Europe".[4]
The Huguenots were initially settled in the Berg River Valley, but many found better soil in an isolated valley called Olifantshoek ('Elephant's Corner') due to the elephant herds that roamed there.[10] In 1694, nine farms were allocated to French settlers in this valley, which was subsequently renamed Franschhoek.[10] Many farms were established along the Berg and Franschhoek rivers, as well as in the Dwars River Valley.[11] Settlers often named their new farms after the areas in France from which they came, with names like La Motte, Provence, and Chamonix still in use today.
To serve the French-speaking community, the VOC sent the ministerPierre Simond, who arrived on August 29, 1688.[12] He was stationed at Drakenstein and preached in both Drakenstein andStellenbosch. On November 20, 1689, Simond led a deputation to Governor van der Stel to request their own congregation, which was granted. A church building was established in 1691 near the present-day church in Simondium.[12] Simond also undertook literary work, publishing a French verse translation of the Psalms titledLes Veilles Afriquaines. The book was published in Amsterdam in 1704 and is considered by some to be the first book written in South Africa.[12]
The Huguenots had a transformative and lasting impact on the Cape's economy, particularly its wine industry. While wine production had begun in 1659, it was only after the Huguenots settled at the Cape between 1680 and 1690 that the industry began to flourish.[7] Academic research using colonial tax records has shown that Huguenot settlers produced significantly more wine and were more productive than their non-Huguenot counterparts.[13] This competitive advantage was attributed to their specialised knowledge and skills in viticulture, which were passed down through generations.[13][14]
Beyond wine, the Huguenots brought advanced farming techniques and various craft skills to the colony.[6][15] Their expertise led to a marked improvement in the quality of Cape agricultural products and helped establish the foundations of the region's renowned wine industry.[6][16] The expansion of viticulture, a labor-intensive form of agriculture, also contributed to an increased demand for slave labor at the Cape, particularly during harvest seasons.[14]
The Dutch East India Company implemented a deliberate policy of assimilation. Beginning in 1701, this policy mandated that schools teach exclusively in Dutch, all official correspondence be conducted in Dutch, and strict laws of assembly be followed. The last French-speaking pastor, Paul Roux, ceased French-language services in 1710, and by 1707, French was banned in all official communications.[17] Within two generations, French had ceased to be a home language for most Huguenot descendants, and by the mid-18th century, they no longer maintained a distinct identity separate from the broader Cape colonial population.
Despite rapid cultural assimilation, Huguenot surnames have remained prominent in South Africa. A 1981 survey found that nine of the 36 most common surnames among white South Africans were of Huguenot origin, including Nel, Du Plessis, Coetzee, Fourie, and Viljoen.[18] Today, approximately 40 Huguenot surnames survive, some retaining their original spelling (e.g., De Villiers, Malan, Du Toit) and others having been localised (e.g., Cronjé, Pienaar, Retief).[19]
The Huguenot immigrants integrated quickly through intermarriage, facilitated by their shared Calvinist faith. By 1692, the 201 French Huguenots constituted approximately one-third of the free European population at the Cape.[20] Genetic research indicates that Huguenot ancestry contributes an estimated 24% to the modern Afrikaner gene pool.[19]
Descendants of these original families became prominent figures in South African society. In the first four volumes of theSouth African Biographical Dictionary, numerous entries are for individuals with Huguenot surnames like De Villiers, Du Toit, and Malan.[18] One of the most notable descendants isF.W. de Klerk, the last State President ofapartheid-era South Africa.[21][22]
A largemonument to commemorate the arrival of the Huguenots in South Africa was inaugurated on 17 April 1948 atFranschhoek. A museum dedicated to the Huguenot history in South Africa is located adjacent to the monument.
A smaller monument commemorating the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Huguenots is located in theJohannesburg Botanical Garden.
French Huguenot descendants were also included in the exodus of frontier farmers that was called theGreat Trek.[23]
Voortrekker surnames who were of French Huguenot ancestry include:[24](Original French spelling in brackets)
Some of the original forms of the surnames have been put in brackets.
| By country |
| ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| See also | |||||||||||||||
