Definition
Colonial economy was an economy introduction projection Government to
fulfill them. Colonial economy was introduced in order to make production
distribution and consumption of material wealth.
Why the introduction of colonial economy in Africa?
Colonial economy in Africa was introduced due to the industrial revolution in Europe. Which led to the need of raw materials, markets, areas of investment and labourers.
In order to solve those problems, Europeans established five economic activities such as agriculture, mining, industry, trade and infrastructure.
Features of colonial economy Colonial economy had several
features that differ to the pre-colonial economy as follows:
1. Colonial economy was export oriented as production was for export (e.g. production of cash crops, mineral
2. It was exploitative in nature that is Africans were highly exploited e.g. on selling their crops.
3. It went hand in hand with alienation of Africans (Africans were alienated from their land and it was to be used by the European colonial masters).
4. Colonial economy used forced labour (in areas where colonial rulers opened projects).
5. Colonial economy was a cash economy that is, exchange was done in money form.
6. It went together with the use of high capital in opening of economic activities like agriculture, mining etc.
7. Colonial economy involved small scale and large-scale production (e.g. of large scale production was plantation economy while in small scale peasant economy was left to continue).
8. It went together with introduction of tax. This tax was to enrich colonial Government.
Colonial economy was introduced by the use of three methods that is Creative, Destructive and Preservation.
a. Creative
In this colonial rules introduced new
things in Africa such as:
1. The introduction of a cash economy as exchange started to be in the form of
cash.
2. Introduction of land alienation where European started for take fertile that
belonged to the Africans.
3. Colonial power introduced large-scale farms e.g. Tea Plantations and settler
farms in Africa.
4. They introduced tax in form of cash where Africans were forced to pay tax
in cash to the colonial Government.
5. It went together with the construction of infrastructure so as to favour the
colonial powers.
6. They introduced forced labour in Africa; Africans were forced to work in
colonial projects.
b. Destructive
Colonial power tended to destruct several things in Africa so as to favour
them e.g.
1. They destroyed African local industries so as to gain market and labourers.
2. Colonial Government, tended to destroy African culture e.g. initiation
ceremony. This was done so as to obtain cheap labourers.
c. Preservative
1. In some of the areas colonial Government preserved peasant economy e.g. in Uganda, West Africa etc.
2. Mode of production in Africa was left to continue e.g. Feudalism in Uganda
and primitive communal mode of production in some of the areas.
Activity
1. Colonial economy was destructive, creative and preservative. Discuss.
2. Discuss the methods that were used by Europeans to establish colonial
economy in Africa.
In order to fulfill their needs colonial masters introduced several projects/ sectors such as:
i. Agriculture
ii. Trading
iii. Mining
iv. Industrial
v. Infrastructure
i. Agriculture
Agriculture sector
Agriculture at this time was basically one crop production. it was of small scale and large-scale crop production.
Crop production was divided into three forms as follows:
1. Peasant economy
2. Plantation economy
3. Settler economy
1. Peasant economy
In some of the areas Africans were left to continue on production of cash crop
at small scale e.g. Peasant economy was introduced in Uganda (cotton and
coffee in Tanganyika’s Sukuma land; and Cocoa and Palm Oil production in
West Africa).
2. Explain why colonial Government used peasant economy in West Africa and Uganda.
3. Why peasant economy was reliable in some of the areas It is that some of the areas colonial Government continued to produce by peasant economy (at small scale).
2. The system was cheap to run cost of production was covered by the peasants (colonial Government determined the selling price for peasants).
3. It was due to negative response from the Africans while some societies resisted on the introduction of plantation e.g. in West Africa.
4. It was simple to force Africans on production e.g. basing on quality of productions for instance in Sukuma land each family was required to produce two (2) acres of cotton.
5. Due to tropical climate in some of the areas as Europeans failed to enter on those areas with tropical disease. As a result, Africans were left to continue on production on small scale.
6. The system helped colonial Governments at large e.g. on selling cash crops, Africans were required to contribute on the construction of roads and other social services.
7. Some of the areas had high population e.g. in West Africa hence it was not possible to alienate all of them from their land.
2. Plantation agriculture
These were large-scale farms under the colonial Government; they were highly based on cash crops production e.g. Sisal in Tanganyika (Morogoro and Tanga). they depend of migrant labourers
Settlers economy
This system involved the production of cash crop at larger scale. The settlers who were Europeans owned these large-scale farms and some of them were Asians. Examples of these areas where settlers introduced this type of economy are Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Algeria, etc.
How Colonial Government favoured settlers in Africa:
At large it is said that settlers were highly favoured by their respective
colonial Governments e.g. in Kenya and Zimbabwe settlers were favoured
to a large extent.
2. Show settlers were helped by the colonial Government in Kenya
Settlers in Africa were favoured by the
use of the following:
1. Settlers were given capital by the colonial Government so as to open
forms in Africa e.g. in Kenya highlands (capital was given in form of loans).
2. Colonial Government build social services in those areas with settlers
such as hospital, roads, schools so as to attract settlers in Africa.
3. Settlers were favoured on price of their cash crops compared to the peasants
(crops from the settlers were bought at a higher price).
4. Colonial Government tended to force Africans to work on settlers’ farms (it
helped increase production due to the availability of labour).
5. Colonial Government favoured settlers by the use of land act e.g. 1919 the
Crown Lands Act helped settlers to be given land by the colonial Government
in Kenya.
6. Africans were restricted to grow the same type of cash crops being
produced by settlers e.g. in Kenya.
Africans were restricted to grow coffee (this was to favour the settlers on
market of their produce).
In order to introduce these processing industry, colonial Government tended to destroy local industries in Africa.
Roles of industries at the time It was to reduce the bulkiness of raw materials e.g. Sisal, raw materials were processed to simplify carriage of raw materials from Africa to their mother countries.
Role of mining
It was to obtain raw materials e.g.minerals like Gold, Diamonds for their industries.
Role of trade and commerce It helped European Colonial Governments to gain raw materials from Africa like crops and minerals. Europeans obtained market for their produce (manufactured goods from Europe).
Roads and railways were built from the interior all the way to the coast to make exportation and importation of goods easy.
Role of infrastructure
i. Roads and railways were used to carry raw materials from the interior ready for export.
ii. It carried immigrant labour to areas of production e.g. Kigoma – Dar es Salaam railway was built for that purpose.
iii.To carry administrators and military troops from one area to another.
iv.To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the another
v. To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the interior.
Colonial economy was an economy introduction projection Government to
fulfill them. Colonial economy was introduced in order to make production
distribution and consumption of material wealth.
Why the introduction of colonial economy in Africa?
Colonial economy in Africa was introduced due to the industrial revolution in Europe. Which led to the need of raw materials, markets, areas of investment and labourers.
In order to solve those problems, Europeans established five economic activities such as agriculture, mining, industry, trade and infrastructure.
Features of colonial economy Colonial economy had several
features that differ to the pre-colonial economy as follows:
1. Colonial economy was export oriented as production was for export (e.g. production of cash crops, mineral
2. It was exploitative in nature that is Africans were highly exploited e.g. on selling their crops.
3. It went hand in hand with alienation of Africans (Africans were alienated from their land and it was to be used by the European colonial masters).
4. Colonial economy used forced labour (in areas where colonial rulers opened projects).
5. Colonial economy was a cash economy that is, exchange was done in money form.
6. It went together with the use of high capital in opening of economic activities like agriculture, mining etc.
7. Colonial economy involved small scale and large-scale production (e.g. of large scale production was plantation economy while in small scale peasant economy was left to continue).
8. It went together with introduction of tax. This tax was to enrich colonial Government.
Establishment of colonial economy in Africa
In establishing colonial economy Europeans used different ways as follows:Colonial economy was introduced by the use of three methods that is Creative, Destructive and Preservation.
a. Creative
In this colonial rules introduced new
things in Africa such as:
1. The introduction of a cash economy as exchange started to be in the form of
cash.
2. Introduction of land alienation where European started for take fertile that
belonged to the Africans.
3. Colonial power introduced large-scale farms e.g. Tea Plantations and settler
farms in Africa.
4. They introduced tax in form of cash where Africans were forced to pay tax
in cash to the colonial Government.
5. It went together with the construction of infrastructure so as to favour the
colonial powers.
6. They introduced forced labour in Africa; Africans were forced to work in
colonial projects.
b. Destructive
Colonial power tended to destruct several things in Africa so as to favour
them e.g.
1. They destroyed African local industries so as to gain market and labourers.
2. Colonial Government, tended to destroy African culture e.g. initiation
ceremony. This was done so as to obtain cheap labourers.
c. Preservative
1. In some of the areas colonial Government preserved peasant economy e.g. in Uganda, West Africa etc.
2. Mode of production in Africa was left to continue e.g. Feudalism in Uganda
and primitive communal mode of production in some of the areas.
Activity
1. Colonial economy was destructive, creative and preservative. Discuss.
2. Discuss the methods that were used by Europeans to establish colonial
economy in Africa.
Colonial economic sectors
In order to fulfill their needs colonial masters introduced several projects/ sectors such as:
i. Agriculture
ii. Trading
iii. Mining
iv. Industrial
v. Infrastructure
i. Agriculture
Agriculture sector
Agriculture at this time was basically one crop production. it was of small scale and large-scale crop production.
Crop production was divided into three forms as follows:
1. Peasant economy
2. Plantation economy
3. Settler economy
1. Peasant economy
In some of the areas Africans were left to continue on production of cash crop
at small scale e.g. Peasant economy was introduced in Uganda (cotton and
coffee in Tanganyika’s Sukuma land; and Cocoa and Palm Oil production in
West Africa).
Activity
1. In some of the areas colonial rulers introduced peasant economy and plantation economy. Discuss why?2. Explain why colonial Government used peasant economy in West Africa and Uganda.
3. Why peasant economy was reliable in some of the areas It is that some of the areas colonial Government continued to produce by peasant economy (at small scale).
Answers
1. Africans had experience of growing some type of cash crops such as palm oil, cotton while Europeans did not. Hence they left Africans to continue producing.2. The system was cheap to run cost of production was covered by the peasants (colonial Government determined the selling price for peasants).
3. It was due to negative response from the Africans while some societies resisted on the introduction of plantation e.g. in West Africa.
4. It was simple to force Africans on production e.g. basing on quality of productions for instance in Sukuma land each family was required to produce two (2) acres of cotton.
5. Due to tropical climate in some of the areas as Europeans failed to enter on those areas with tropical disease. As a result, Africans were left to continue on production on small scale.
6. The system helped colonial Governments at large e.g. on selling cash crops, Africans were required to contribute on the construction of roads and other social services.
7. Some of the areas had high population e.g. in West Africa hence it was not possible to alienate all of them from their land.
2. Plantation agriculture
These were large-scale farms under the colonial Government; they were highly based on cash crops production e.g. Sisal in Tanganyika (Morogoro and Tanga). they depend of migrant labourers
Settlers economy
This system involved the production of cash crop at larger scale. The settlers who were Europeans owned these large-scale farms and some of them were Asians. Examples of these areas where settlers introduced this type of economy are Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Algeria, etc.
How Colonial Government favoured settlers in Africa:
At large it is said that settlers were highly favoured by their respective
colonial Governments e.g. in Kenya and Zimbabwe settlers were favoured
to a large extent.
Activity
1. Show how settlers were favoured in Kenya and Southern Rhodesia. OR2. Show settlers were helped by the colonial Government in Kenya
Settlers in Africa were favoured by the
use of the following:
1. Settlers were given capital by the colonial Government so as to open
forms in Africa e.g. in Kenya highlands (capital was given in form of loans).
2. Colonial Government build social services in those areas with settlers
such as hospital, roads, schools so as to attract settlers in Africa.
3. Settlers were favoured on price of their cash crops compared to the peasants
(crops from the settlers were bought at a higher price).
4. Colonial Government tended to force Africans to work on settlers’ farms (it
helped increase production due to the availability of labour).
5. Colonial Government favoured settlers by the use of land act e.g. 1919 the
Crown Lands Act helped settlers to be given land by the colonial Government
in Kenya.
6. Africans were restricted to grow the same type of cash crops being
produced by settlers e.g. in Kenya.
Africans were restricted to grow coffee (this was to favour the settlers on
market of their produce).
INDUSTRY SECTOR
The colonial Government introduced processing industries in some of the areas. These processing industries were established in those areas with cash crop production.In order to introduce these processing industry, colonial Government tended to destroy local industries in Africa.
Roles of industries at the time It was to reduce the bulkiness of raw materials e.g. Sisal, raw materials were processed to simplify carriage of raw materials from Africa to their mother countries.
MINING SECTOR
They formulated large numbers of mining centers in Africa so as to fulfill their demands e.g. South Africa (diamond and gold mines). Due to the location of mining centers, Colonial Governments tended to use immigrant labour.Role of mining
It was to obtain raw materials e.g.minerals like Gold, Diamonds for their industries.
TRADE AND COMMERCE
European colonialists introduced trading activities while they started to import several items such as clothes, simple machines from Europe. On the other hand Colonial Governments started to export raw materials from Africa to their mother countries.Role of trade and commerce It helped European Colonial Governments to gain raw materials from Africa like crops and minerals. Europeans obtained market for their produce (manufactured goods from Europe).
INFRASTRUCTURE
In order to develop economic activities in Africa, Colonial Governments built infrastructure like road, railway houses (infrastructure). Infrastructure was built for those areas with economic gains such as raw materials and labourers.Roads and railways were built from the interior all the way to the coast to make exportation and importation of goods easy.
Role of infrastructure
i. Roads and railways were used to carry raw materials from the interior ready for export.
ii. It carried immigrant labour to areas of production e.g. Kigoma – Dar es Salaam railway was built for that purpose.
iii.To carry administrators and military troops from one area to another.
iv.To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the another
v. To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the interior.
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