Dutch Colonies in Africa: Angola, Cape, Gold Coast & More

The Dutch (via VOC, WIC, and later state) held territories across Africa from the 1500s to 1900s. Key possessions:

Major Colonies

Territory	Period	Notes
Cape Colony (South Africa)	1652–1795 (VOC), 1803–1806 (Batavian)	Refreshment station → settler colony. British took permanently 1806.
Dutch Gold Coast (Ghana)	1598–1872	Forts (Elmina from 1637). Sold to UK 1872.
Dutch Loango-Angola	1641–1648 (Luanda)	Briefly held from Portugal; lost 1648.
Senegal (Gorée, Saint-Louis)	1588–1677 (intermittent)	Trading posts; lost to France/UK.
Arguin (Mauritania)	1633–1678	Gum arabic, slave trade.
Namibia (Walvis Bay area)	1689–1884 (claims)	Never effective control; German colony 1884.
Nigeria (Benin, Lagos)	1621–1664 (WIC forts)	Brief; British dominance followed.

Afrikaans: Evolved from Cape Dutch.
Cape Malay community: Descendants of enslaved Indonesians.
Ghana forts: Elmina Castle (UNESCO) — Dutch then British.
South Africa: Deep Dutch institutional imprint (Roman-Dutch law, Reformed Church).

The Dutch African empire was commercial (trade posts) not territorial — except the Cape, which became a settler colony with lasting consequences.

Africa