GENERAL IMPACTS OF COLONIAL ECONOMY IN AFRICA
Colonial economy was a secret purpose of the Europeans colonialism “political control of Africa” in the 19th and 20th C. colonial economy brought the following impacts in Africa.
SOCIAL IMPACTS
Migration of people: As the migrant laborers, the Africans moved from their areas to work in strange places. In so doing they were temporarily separated from their families.
Famine: It was brought by the migration of able people as migrant labor. It was also promoted by the intensification of taxation and alienation done by the colonial government to the natives.
Urbanization: In colonial time, the towns grew as a result of migrant labor and the concentration of commercial activities in the same area. The areas near mining centers, industries, settler farms were more developed.
Integration of culture: The social aspects of African culture were greatly transformed. The African dressing styles, eating, language, and general lifestyle changed in response to the changes brought by colonialists and migrant labor.
New social services: The natives started to experience the new social services offered by the colonial companies e.g. Private hospitals such as Aga-Khan hospital, Sewa Haji Hospital, schools such as Karimjee schools in Tanga now Usagara Secondary School etc.
Death: The intensification of colonial policies such as land alienation, taxation, colonial oppressive laws provoked African uprising such as MAUMAU war of Kenya in 1950s.In such kinds of uprising the natives were massacred.
Population adjustment: The labor reserve areas greatly depopulated due to the out of migration of people (rural – urban migration). The production areas experienced a constant increase of population (urbanization).
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Loss of properties: Through the colonial policy of land alienation, Africans cost a lot of wealth.
Poverty: Loss of properties like land, houses etc. colonial taxation, low wages, difficult working conditions, out migration from the labor reserve areas etc. turned (made) the natives to be very poor.
The foundation of contemporary colonialism: Today’s ‘neo-colonialism’ in Africa is rooted from colonial economy. The presence of multinational companies which exploited the Africans through low wages in colonial time being repeated by today’s African governments through privatization policy which insists on inviting western companies in Africa. The multinational companies also exploit Africa by recruiting raw materials from Africa at a very low price e.g. Minerals.
Infrastructures: To implement colonial economy, the colonial government established a lot of infrastructures such as railways, roads, airports and harbors. They also built schools, shops such as bazaars, warehouses etc. today the properties are used for the benefits of the natives; some were nationalized by African government after independence.
Currencies: In colonial time, most of the currencies were set by the colonial masters and governments. As a result until today. Africa is dominated by the currencies related with the former colonial masters e.g. The Franc in French colonies, Shilling and dollar in former British colonies etc.
Monoculture economics: The colonial were meant to produce one major export commodity by the colonial masters e.g. Cooper production in Zambia, cocoa production in Ivory Coast, tea production in Kenya and sisal production in Tanganyika. This blinded the African to see other sources of revenue for their national development after independence.
Weak and small manufacturing sector: In order to protest, the European markets in Africa and ensures a constant supply of the raw materials in European industries. The Europeans didn’t build manufacturing industries in Africa as a result today Africa is major market for European products and a reliable source of raw materials to the Europeans manufactures hence neo-colonialism.
POLITICAL IMPACTS
Puppets: The native authorities were used as the agents of colonial government in the collection of colonial taxes e.g. The OMUWANIKA (the native finance minister of Buganda kingdom) taxed Buganda on behalf of Kabaka and the British government.
The end of sovereignty: The native authorities lost their power of making their own internal decision on economic matters e.g. The setting of taxes, final decisions on expenditures etc. the colonial government had great influence on the basic economic matters.
African nationalism: Colonial economy provoked the natives to regroup into small groups with political skills e.g. the worker who were less paid formed trade unions the native peasants association etc. these groups pressurized the colonial government to consider their rights. As time went on, they formed political parties which claimed for total political independence.
Political oppression: In favor of colonial economy the colonial government undermined the native’s political rights, a number of natives in colonial legislature was very small. The laws which were set were not objected by a few number of native members of LEGCO. The leaders of the foreign companies were Europeans not natives.
Segregation and discrimination. In working places, the natives were not well cared for and weren’t considered as the white men were. E.g. they weren’t not allowed to be members of political parties in the Portuguese colonies and other while Europeans were allowed. The natives were not allowed to involve themselves in political activities. Those who refused were fired from their jobs.
Neo – colonialism: As a result of colonial economy, today’s African governments have little impact on multinational companies. These companies are being protected by donor countries which fund the African governments. Most of the multinational companies started working in Africa since colonial time.
Nevertheless, colonial economy left a starting point to colonial governments after independence. The African government collected revenue from institutions left by colonial investors and used it to run their new governments.
Note:
Generally speaking, European colonialism and slave trade stand as the twin factors which set the base of today’s Africans underdevelopment, they caused stagnation of science and technology in Africa, low quality education, lack of good governance, political greediness, corruption, embezzlement of government resources and others.
