{"title":"Old Southern Africa Maps","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"1656-map-southern-africa-nicolas-sanson-print","title":"1656 Map of southern Africa by Nicolas Sanson","description":"\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThe 1656 map of southern Africa by Nicolas Sanson, titled \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePays, et Coste des Caffres: Empires du Monomotapa, Monoemugi\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, is one of the earliest printed European maps to include the newly settled Cape of Good Hope, situating it within a broader conception of Africa’s southern and eastern regions. Extending from the Cape northward to present-day Mozambique and Zimbabwe, it combines genuine geographic knowledge from Portuguese exploration with enduring legends of African empires such as Monomotapa (Mutapa) and the semi-mythical Monoemugi. Sanson identifies key coastal features including Sofala, Mozambique Island, and the “Land of the Caffres,” reflecting early European encounters with Nguni-speaking peoples. Drawn in Sanson’s restrained, scholarly French style, the map marks a departure from the ornate Dutch tradition, emphasizing clarity and rational geography. Issued just four years after the Dutch East India Company established its station at the Cape in 1652, it captures a pivotal historical moment when European understanding of southern Africa was expanding from hearsay and speculation to empirical observation. The map’s mixture of coastal detail and mythical interior kingdoms epitomizes the 17th-century transition from medieval imagination to scientific cartography.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThis map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character. There may be marks and fold lines visible, which add to the authentic look. The map is printed on your choice of 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish or 350gsm canvas. Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers, so a matte finish best represents the original map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Africa Map Art","offers":[{"title":"Matte 230gsm coated paper \/ 63 x 45cm","offer_id":47533661815006,"sku":null,"price":590.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas 350gsm \/ 63 x 45cm","offer_id":49139145310430,"sku":null,"price":590.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/files\/map-southern-africa-1656-nicolas-sanson.jpg?v=1791109535"},{"product_id":"1708-map-southern-central-africa-guillaume-de-l-isle-print","title":"1708 Map of southern \u0026 central Africa by Guillaume de L’Isle","description":"\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThe 1708 map of southern Africa by Guillaume De L’Isle, titled \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCarte du Congo et du Pays des Cafres, avec la Côte d’Afrique depuis le Cap de Bonne Espérance jusqu’au Cap Negro\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (Map of the Congo and the Land of the Caffres, with the Coast of Africa from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Negro), represents one of the first scientifically constructed depictions of southern and central Africa produced in the early Enlightenment era. Extending from the Cape of Good Hope north to Cape Negro in Angola and inland to the Congo and Zambezi basins, the map shows the Dutch Cape Colony, the kingdoms of Monomotapa and Congo, and Portuguese outposts along the coasts, while also featuring a large speculative inland lake feeding the Nile. De L’Isle’s work, based on improved astronomical observations and the best reports from explorers, missionaries, and traders, replaced the decorative excesses of 17th-century Dutch maps with a new rational clarity. Yet, despite its scientific ambition, it still carried traces of inherited myth and ethnographic generalisation—labelling vast regions as the \u003ci\u003ePays des Cafres\u003c\/i\u003e (“Land of the Caffres”) and perpetuating semi-legendary geography. Published as France sought intellectual parity with Dutch and Portuguese cartography, De L’Isle’s map signified a turning point toward empirical, Enlightenment mapping, capturing the Cape’s growing Dutch presence, the Portuguese sphere in Angola and Mozambique, and the enduring European fascination with Africa’s interior empires and imagined sources of wealth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThis map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character. There may be marks and fold lines visible, which add to the authentic look. The map is printed on your choice of 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish or 350gsm canvas. Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers, so a matte finish best represents the original map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Africa Map Art","offers":[{"title":"Matte 230gsm coated paper \/ 59 x 47cm","offer_id":47533662142686,"sku":null,"price":590.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas 350gsm \/ 59 x 47cm","offer_id":49139145441502,"sku":null,"price":590.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/files\/map-southern-central-africa-1708-de-l-isle.jpg?v=1791114996"},{"product_id":"1899-map-south-africa-george-walker-print","title":"1899 Map of South Africa by George Walker","description":"\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThe 1899\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003emap of\u003cb\u003e South Africa\u003c\/b\u003e, published in Boston by George H. Walker \u0026amp; Company, captures the political and economic geography of southern Africa at the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War. Covering the region from the Cape of Good Hope north to parts of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, it delineates the British colonies of the Cape and Natal, the independent Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, and neighbouring German and Portuguese territories, all colour-coded for clarity. The map highlights railways, roads, mining centres, and strategic routes, particularly those connecting Cape Town, Durban, and the Witwatersrand goldfields, revealing the infrastructure underpinning both commerce and impending conflict. Produced for an American audience, it catered to growing international interest in South Africa’s mineral wealth and political tensions. As one of the last pre-war maps to show the Boer republics as sovereign states, it stands as a vivid cartographic snapshot of imperial rivalry and transformation, illustrating the fusion of geography, industry, and empire that defined South Africa on the eve of the 20th century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThis map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character. There may be marks and fold lines visible, which add to the authentic look. The map is printed on your choice of 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish or 350gsm canvas. Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers, so a matte finish best represents the original map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Africa Map Art","offers":[{"title":"Matte 230gsm coated paper \/ 55 x 45cm","offer_id":47533665485022,"sku":null,"price":490.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas 350gsm \/ 55 x 45cm","offer_id":49139148030174,"sku":null,"price":490.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/files\/map-south-africa-1899-walker.jpg?v=1791137289"},{"product_id":"1891-map-south-africa-jc-juta-print","title":"1891 Map of South Africa by JC Juta \u0026 Co","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThe 1891\u003cb\u003e Juta’s Map of South Africa, from the Cape to the Zambesi\u003c\/b\u003e, published by J.C. Juta \u0026amp; Co. in Cape Town, presents a detailed political and physical picture of southern Africa at the height of the Scramble for Africa. Extending from the Cape of Good Hope to the Zambezi River, it delineates the Cape Colony, Natal, British Bechuanaland, Basutoland, and Swaziland, alongside the independent Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, and neighbouring colonial possessions such as German South-West Africa and Portuguese East Africa. The map highlights African kingdoms like Matabeleland under Lobengula, while tracing emerging railways, wagon roads, and trade routes, symbolising economic expansion driven by diamond and gold discoveries. Issued amid the rapid advance of British, German, and Portuguese imperial interests, it reflects the political fragmentation and industrial transformation of the subcontinent. As both an educational and commercial reference, Juta’s map helped contemporaries visualise a region in flux — a crossroads of indigenous sovereignty, colonial ambition, and modern infrastructure — just before the wars and consolidations that would forge a unified South Africa in the early 20th century.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003eThe reference to Selous’ “Journals and Sketches” in the title of Juta’s 1891 map signals the use of his first-hand exploratory knowledge to fill in unsurveyed regions of the Zambezi and interior. It shows how the personal records of hunters and explorers became key ingredients in the cartographic construction of empire in southern Africa.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThis map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character. There may be marks and fold lines visible, which add to the authentic look. The map is printed on your choice of 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish or 350gsm canvas. Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers, so a matte finish best represents the original map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Africa Map Art","offers":[{"title":"Matte 230gsm coated paper \/ 79 x 60cm","offer_id":47533665517790,"sku":null,"price":890.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas 350gsm \/ 79 x 60cm","offer_id":49139147866334,"sku":null,"price":890.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/files\/south-africa-map-1891-juta.jpg?v=1790882888"},{"product_id":"1887-map-south-africa-alexander-merensky-print","title":"1887 Map of South Africa by Alexander Merensky","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThe 1887\u003cb\u003e Original Map of South Africa\u003c\/b\u003e by Reverend Alexander Merensky presents one of the most comprehensive depictions of southern Africa at the height of the late 19th-century colonial and missionary period. Extending from the Cape Colony to the Zambezi River, it captures a continent in transition — where British and Boer territories, independent African kingdoms, and missionary networks coexisted on the eve of the Scramble for Africa. Merensky, a German missionary, linguist, and ethnographer of the Berlin Missionary Society, drew on decades of field experience to produce a map that combined colonial surveys, indigenous oral knowledge, and missionary records with exceptional ethnographic detail. It shows the Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange Free State, alongside African polities such as the Zulu, Basotho, and Matabele, and highlights mission stations, trade routes, and transport links like wagon roads and emerging railways. Created just after the discovery of gold (1886) and amid growing imperial rivalry, Merensky’s map reflects both scholarly intent and colonial utility—a document bridging scientific cartography and imperial expansion, while preserving invaluable insight into the political and cultural geography of pre-Union South Africa.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;\"\u003eThis map is a reproduction of a historical map that is now in the public domain. It has been selected for its aesthetic appeal and historical interest and carefully restored and reproduced to preserve its original detail and character. There may be marks and fold lines visible, which add to the authentic look. The map is printed on your choice of 230gsm heavyweight coated paper with a matte finish or 350gsm canvas. Most old maps were printed on uncoated rag or wood pulp papers, so a matte finish best represents the original map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Africa Map Art","offers":[{"title":"Matte 230gsm coated paper \/ 74 x 60cm","offer_id":47533665550558,"sku":null,"price":790.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Canvas 350gsm \/ 74 x 60cm","offer_id":49139147800798,"sku":null,"price":790.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/files\/map-south-africa-1887-merensky.jpg?v=1791136678"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0738\/9403\/5678\/collections\/1656_Pays_et_Coste_des_Caffres_Empires_du_Monomotapa_Monoemugi_WC_edit_jpg.jpg?v=1791291238","url":"https:\/\/www.africamapart.co.za\/collections\/old-southern-africa-maps.oembed","provider":"Africa Map Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}