Original Research
Coastal shipping and the early development of the Southern Cape
New Contree | Vol 18 | a752 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/nc.v18i0.752
| © 2024 A.L. Muller
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 09 July 2024 | Published:
Submitted: 09 July 2024 | Published:
About the author(s)
A.L. Muller, Department of Economics, University of Port Elizabeth, South AfricaFull Text:
PDF (2MB)Abstract
The economic development of the region east of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains (at that time the districts of Graaff-Reinet and Swellendam) could not be explored at first, because of the lack of local markets and the distance to Cape Town. To solve the problem the Dutch East India Company established harbour facilities at Mossel Bay in 1786 and two years later at Plettenberg Bay. This, however, did little if anything for the economic development of the southern Cape, mainly because residents were indifferent and not prepared to shoulder the costs involved in coastal shipping. After 1795 a few individuals, in partnership with the British authorities, took the initiative in promoting coastal shipping between Cape Town and the east coast, thereby linking the inhabitants and resources of that region to the Cape market. This reduced transport costs considerably, while also increasing the margins of profit.
Keywords
economic development; coastal shipping; Southern Cape
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