HISTORY OF IGBOS IN SOUTH
AFRICA
The History of Ndigbo in South
Africa can be traced to the late
1990’s following the popular
reformations that ushered in the
new democratic dispensation.
The first Ndigbo that arrived in
trickles into the New Republic
were mainly those that resided in
the peripheral countries of the
Southern African region. Like any
emigrant community, they
suffered much hardship which is
natural when a people move into
a new society. Later, there came
an influx of new Igbo émigrés
who started to build from the
foundations laid down by the
earlier pioneers.
In no time (like in other societies
were Igbos reside) Ndigbo
applied their renowned qualities
of Industriousness, Hard-work
and resourcefulness to build a
very
strong presence in South Africa.
From mere trickles, the Igbo
Community has grown into a
population in the tens of
thousands and has established
itself in the league of ethnic
nationalities communities in the
forefront of commerce, Industry,
Micro and Macro Investments,
Job creation and development of
South Africa.
Also Ndigbo are blazing the trail
in almost all endeavors and
disciplines in the Rainbow
Republic. There is hardly any
discipline in the Republic that
you would not find the Igbos
participating positively. In Sports,
the legend of the Willie Opkaras,
the Raphael Chukwus, Illodigwes
etc are very well known. Ndigbo
also take pride that we have
many top academicians in almost
all the institutions of higher
learning. Igbo Sons and
daughters are also numerous in
the Health sector where they
serve as medical practitioners
assisting in ensuring the well
being of our South African host
communities. The same story
goes in the Arts and Film
Industry, Entertainment, Real
Estate, Missionary works and
even Politics where we have
managed in no time to have one
of our sons as the First Nigerian/
African South African
Parliamentarian.
Hence, we can say that Ndigbo
have successfully waded the
obstacles that besieged them as
a late-comer community into the
South African society. Ndigbo
passed the test of hardships to
steadily gain trust and respect of
our host community who have
brotherly accommodated us
based on our integrity in
association, inter-marriages and
births.
As our the trail of our sojourn in
the beautiful Rainbow Nation is
told here, we must not forget to
mention that we
Text Box:
have a new generation of Igbo
Children born of Igbo and South
African parents who also
deepens our roots in this land of
the free and strengthens our
claim when we say that we are
no longer Igbos in South Africa,
but Igbos of South Africa.

dats OK, but we need the history of Igbos in Enugu, Anambra, Imo, etc and not in far away SA!