History of South African nationality

South African nationality has been influenced primarily by the racial dynamics that have structured South African society throughout its development. The country's colonial history led to the immigration (or importation) of different racial and ethnic groups into one shared area. Power dispersion and inter-group relations led to European dominance of the state, allowing it to directly shape nationality although not without internal division or influence from the less empowered races.
Dutch colonial rule
South African nationality begins with its history as a European colony. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company (abbreviated V.O.C., in reference to the original Dutch version of this title or DEIC)established the first permanent European settlement in the region. At that time, the pastoral group known as the Khoikhoi inhabited the region along with other Niger-Congo peoples who had emigrated from the Northwest approximately 1500 years prior. The Dutch formally...