‘Far from home’: the origins and significance of the Afro‐Caribbean community in South Africa to 1930

Abstract

An Afro‐Caribbean presence in South Africa in the early twentieth century has long been recognised. This paper traces the origins of the Afro‐Caribbean community in South Africa, which are to be found predominantly among economic migrants such as seafarers. It then considers the nature of the Afro‐Caribbean community in South Africa and discusses its impact on black political consciousness and organisation, both before and after the First World War.