Hindus in Africa

Abstract

Today, approximately twenty million people of Indian descent live around the world. Indians began arriving in sub-Saharan Africa from the 19th century onward. Most came as indentured laborers to the southern and southeastern coasts of the continent. They worked on plantations and in mines owned by colonial powers, while traders and intellectuals only arrived in the region decades later. The religious composition of the newcomers reflected the situation in India, with the vast majority (about 80%) being Hindus.
This study focuses on the Indian community of nearly one million people living in the Republic of South Africa, but also touches on the Hindu population of East Africa. After gaining an understanding of the African context, we are offered a glimpse into the extraordinary and beautiful belief system of Hinduism and the culture of liberal, tolerant Indian communities.