Somali in Johannesburg late 19th century

[Riftvalley]

Do you any of you guys have any information about this. Apparently some Somalis who fought on the British side during the Anglo-Boer war settled in the Mayfair area of Joburg.

Interestingly, this is the same area many Somali refugees settled after the civil war. I believe the Somalis settled with the Malay Muslims and may have claimed Asian descent. I was only able to view a pages on Google books about this topic.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/glob.12065#:~:text=Although%20Somali%20Muslims%20began%20to,%2C%20Indians%2C%20blacks%20and%20whites.

Muslims in Southern Africa : Johannesburg’s Somali diaspora

"This book presents a socio-historical analysis of the Somali Muslim diaspora in Johannesburg and its impact on urban development in the context of Somali migrations in the Southern African Indian Ocean region from the end of the 19th Century to today. The author draws on a combination of...

shs.hal.science

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

I have heard of this but not seen any written evidence for it yet. It is more than likely even probable as Somalis were going to places even further away in that era being traders in New York for example and even Australia

 

[Idilinaa]

I don't believe Somalis have ever claimed Asian descent in order to settle amongst Malays. But it seems the paper is explaining that they were lumped in with them as they were both the only Muslims.

Religion plays a role for Somalis, who were finally classified as Malays following the intervention of a representative of the Ottoman empire, Sheikh Ahmed Effendi, in 1904.

Looks to be an interesting book, shame there is no open access to view it in total.

I didn't know that Somalis settlement in Johannesburg was in direction of their participation of the british war. I have seen some references to Somalis settlement in the 19th century , they don't seem to mention that at all. They speak about them as mostly arriving as economic migrants, perhaps similar to the early 20th century New York Somalis i spoke about: Mostly because they did not settle in the townships and other areas but in the suburbs close to the city centre

Making Home in a Hostile Land: Understanding Somali Identity, Integration, Livelihood and Risks in Johannesburg

Making Home in a Hostile Land: Understanding Somali Identity, Integration, Livelihood and Risks in Johannesburg

www.academia.edu

In Johannesburg, Somalis settled in Mayfair and Fordsburg, suburbs located close to the city centre that were hubs of trading amongst South African Indians, a significant number of whom are Muslims. The proximity of mosques was a determining factor in their settlement. They have over the years transformed the landscape of the city.

These early migrants established themselves as reliable and hardworking with a sense of business acumen and paved the way for future Somalis by being a source of information and support.

 

[Laser]

Do you any of you guys have any information about this. Apparently some Somalis who fought on the British side during the Anglo-Boer war settled in the Mayfair area of Joburg.

Interestingly, this is the same area many Somali refugees settled after the civil war. I believe the Somalis settled with the Malay Muslims and may have claimed Asian descent. I was only able to view a pages on Google books about this topic.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/glob.12065#:~:text=Although%20Somali%20Muslims%20began%20to,%2C%20Indians%2C%20blacks%20and%20whites.

Muslims in Southern Africa : Johannesburg’s Somali diaspora

"This book presents a socio-historical analysis of the Somali Muslim diaspora in Johannesburg and its impact on urban development in the context of Somali migrations in the Southern African Indian Ocean region from the end of the 19th Century to today. The author draws on a combination of...

shs.hal.science

Maxamed mubarak was a somali from Johannesburg, he worked for the ottoman empire.

His family got to South africa in 1880s.

 

[Riftvalley]

I don't believe Somalis have ever claimed Asian descent in order to settle amongst Malays. But it seems the paper is explaining that they were lumped in with them as they were both the only Muslims.


Looks to be an interesting book, shame there is no open access to view it in total.

I didn't know that Somalis settlement in Johannesburg was in direction of their participation of the british war. I have seen some references to Somalis settlement in the 19th century , they don't seem to mention that at all. They speak about them as mostly arriving as economic migrants, perhaps similar to the early 20th century New York Somalis i spoke about: Mostly because they did not settle in the townships and other areas but in the suburbs close to the city centre

Making Home in a Hostile Land: Understanding Somali Identity, Integration, Livelihood and Risks in Johannesburg

Making Home in a Hostile Land: Understanding Somali Identity, Integration, Livelihood and Risks in Johannesburg

www.academia.edu

The quote says Sheikh Yusuf effendi intervened for Somalis to be classified as Malays. In other quote I found it says he wrote a letter in 1904 to the transvaal authorities to have the Somalis classed as Malays. I would assume to be classified as Malay/Muslim was probably less legally problematic than as a “kaffir” black Bantu (even though the Malay themselves had many Africans ex slaves who had converted to Islam in their community). Most Malays later came to be known as coloureds in the apartheid system.

 

[Idilinaa]

The quote says Sheikh Yusuf effendi intervened for Somalis to be classified as Malays. In other quote I found it says he wrote a letter in 1904 to the transvaal authorities to have the Somalis classed as Malays. I would assume to be classified as Malay/Muslim was probably less legally problematic than as a “kaffir” black Bantu (even though the Malay themselves had many Africans ex slaves who had converted to Islam in their community). Most Malays later came to be known as coloureds in the apartheid system.

You know what's weird is how the word ''kaffir'' was adopted by Indian Hindus and White Afrikaans against South African tribes , you even hear Mahtma Ghandi use it. When it originally was from Muslims living there to refer to ''Non-believers''.

 

[Riftvalley]

You know what's weird is how the word ''kaffir'' was adopted by Indian Hindus and White Afrikaans against South African tribes , you even hear Mahtma Ghandi use it. When it originally was from Muslims living there to refer to ''Non-believers''.

Yes, first time I heard it was on a documentary about South Africa whites and I had to rewind to make sure I wasn’t hearing things.

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

Maxamed mubarak was a somali from Johannesburg, he worked for the ottoman empire.View attachment 330694
His family got to South africa in 1880s.

Amazing find man.

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