THEAFRICANS
The Southern African Environment
Although Southern Africa is at the southern end of the Eurasian-African
landmass, it Wasan isolated region before humanity 's technological ad-
vances of the past few centuries (map r). Ocean currents impeded regular
accessby sea. In the South Atlantic, the Benguela current sets in a northerly
direction and retards the approach. In the southern Indian Ocean, the
Mozambique current sets strongly in a southerly direction, making it diffi-
cult for sailing craft to leave the region, so that the ancient Indian Ocean
trade system did not penetrate Africa south of Sofala (modern Beira).
The Southern African coastline, moreover, is punctured by few natural
harbors. The best are those in the Cape peninsula and Durban. But in the
Cape peninsula, Table Bay is exposed to winter gales from the northwest
and False Bay to summer gales from the southeast; and a shallow bar
impeded the entrance to Durban harbor until it was dredged using modern
equipment. Beforethe sixteenth century A.D . Southern Africa was a region
AtlanticDc"""
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Indian Ocean
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20" ,olnloli lino
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Land ovor 4,000 lee,
I. SouthernAfrica in the sixteenthcentury
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