Sectors of Colonial Economy

The Various Sectors of Colonial Economy

Identify the various sectors of colonial economy

In order to fulfill their needs colonial masters introduced several projects/sectors such as:

1. Agriculture
2. Trading
3. Mining
4. Industrial
5. Infrastructure

The Features of each Sector of the Colonial Economy

Explain the features of each sector of the colonial economy

Agriculture

Agriculture at this time was basically one crop production. In this it was of small scale and large-scale production.Crop production was divided into three forms as follows:

1. Peasant economy
2. Plantation economy
3. Settler economy

Peasant economy

Africans were left to continue with production of cash crops on a small scale in some areas.Peasant economy was introduced in Uganda, cottonand coffee in Tanganyika’s Sukuma Land, and Cocoa and palm oil production in West Africa

Activity 2

1. In some of the areas colonial rulers introduced peasant economy and plantation economy. Discuss why.
2. Explain why colonial governments used peasant economy in West Africa and Uganda.

Why peasant economy was reliable in some areas

Colonial governments continued production using the peasant economy on a small scale. This was due to the following factors:

1. Africans had experience growing cash crops such as palm oil, cotton while Europeans did not. Hence they allowed Africans to continue producing.
2. The system was cheap and the cost of production was covered by the peasants.
3. It was due to negative response from the Africans while some societies resisted the introduction of plantation farming 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 acres of cotton.
5. Europeans were unable to live in some areas with tropical climates as they feared tropical diseases. Therefore, Africans were left to continue with production in these areas.
6. The system helped colonial governments at large with selling cash crops. Africans were required to contribute on the construction of roads and others social services.
7. Some areas had high populations e.g. in West Africa, hence it was not possible to alienate all of them from their land.

Plantation economy

These were large-scale farms under the colonial government; they were mainly based on cash crops production e.g. Sisal in Tanganyika (Morogoro and Tanga).

Settlers economy

This system involved the production of cash crops at a larger scale.European and some Asiansettlers owned these large-scale farms. Examples of these areas where settlers introduced this type of economy are Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Algeria.

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 3

1. Show how settlers were favoured in Kenya and Southern Rhodesia. OR
2. Show how settlers were helped by the colonial Government in Kenya

Settlers in Africa were favoured through on of the following methods:

1. Settlers were given capital by the colonial government through loans.
2. Colonial governments built social services in areas with settlers such as hospital, roads, schools to attract more settlers to Africa.
3. Settlers were favoured in the pricing of cash crops compared to peasants (crops from the settlers were bought at a higher price).
4. Colonial governments tended to force Africans to work on settlers’ farms, it helped increase production due to availability of labour.
5. Colonial governments favoured settlers through the use of the Land Act. In 1919 the Crown Lands Act helped settlers obtain land in Kenya.
6. Africans were restricted from growing the same type of cash crops produced by settlers e.g. in Kenya. Africans were restricted from growing coffee, this benefited settlers in marketing their product.

INDUSTRY

The colonial government introduced processing industries in some of the areas. These processing industries were established in areas with cash crop production. Colonial governments tended to destroy local industries in Africa in order to introduce these processing industries.

Roles of industries at the time

Industries were meant 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

White settlers formulated large numbers of mining centers in Africa to fulfill their demands e.g, in South Africa diamond and gold mines were opened.Colonial governments tended to use migrant labour due to the location of mining centers.

Role of mining: Toobtain raw materials e.g. minerals like gold, diamonds for their industries.

Trade and Commerce

European colonialists introduced trading activities while importing several items such as clothes and simple machines from Europe. On the other hand, colonial governments also exported raw materials from Africa to their home 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 manufactured goods from Europe.

Infrastructure

In order to develop economic activities in Africa, colonial governments built infrastructure like roads, railway houses. 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

1. Roads and railways were used to carry raw materials from the interior ready for export.
2. They carried immigrant labours to areas of production e.g. Kigoma – Dar es Salaam railway was built for that purpose.
3. To carry administrators and military troops from one area to another.
4. To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the another
5. To transfer manufactured goods from the harbour to the interior.

Activity 4

Discuss the role of colonial economies introduced by the Europeans in Africa and how pre-colonial economy differed to the colonial economy.

The Impact of the Establishment of Various Sectors of Colonial Economy on Africa

Assess the impact of the establishment of various sectors of colonial economy on Africa

Colonial economy in Africa had both positive and negative effects for Africans.

1. Africans inherited infrastructure from the colonial governments e.g. roads, railways, that were used for carrying goods and labourers.
2. After the independence of African countries nationalisation of plantations, buildings under the colonial governments started. Buildings, plantations and harbours were now under the African states.
3. It led to the introduction of new varieties of crops from outside e.g. varieties of cotton from America, and coffee.
4. Africans inherited European economic plans which continued to be used after independence e.g, the treatment of labourers.
5. Africans were impoverished due to exploitation by the colonial governments.
6. African technology declined due to the destruction of local industries.
7. Some areas that were known for producing labour were under developed due to rationalisation, e.g Kigoma in Tanganyika.
8. Africans inherited capitalist elements from their colonial masters in some areas like Kenya and Zimbabwe.
9. It led to Europeans taking natural resources from Africa e.g. minerals, raw materials through an unequal exchange.

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