Introduction

From the book: A Documentary History of Indian South Africans edited by Surendra Bhana and Bridglal Pachai

Indian traders arrived in the wake of indentured Indians. The services they rendered are highlighted in the first document, reproduced in this section, which contains a request for permission to remain open on Sundays. These early stores probably carried stock largely for Indian consumption. But as fresh batches of traders came from Mauritius and India and spread themselves into all parts of the country, the range of their merchandise increased. Johannesburg and Pretoria traders collectively had liquidated assets worth £100 000 in 1895; some of them had branches in district towns; and others were importers of goods from England and India. The Indian traders found their way to Newcastle and Vryheid, Potchefstroom and Groot Marico, Kimberley and Mafeking. The hawker and the pedlar also made their appearance. They served the poor class of people, white and black, especially in district towns. In one instance, Johannesburg Indian merchants claimed that their merchandise was 20 to 25 per cent cheaper than their competitors'.

Within the first decade of their operation, however, anti-trader sentiments surfaced, later developing into a fierce agitation by white traders to curtail the opportunities of Indians wherever possible, and even to expel them. White traders in district towns felt especially threatened by Indian competition. The charges by white traders against their Indian counterparts were frequent and insistent: unfair competition, insanitation, long hours, undercutting prices, improper bookkeeping, and regular insolvencies. The defence of the Indian trader rested on his successful performance, one borne out by the gratitude of those who benefited from his service.

In Natal, white traders and government officials collaborated in upholding the detrimental features of the Dealers' Licenses Act of 1897, whereby discretionary powers were granted to licensing officers to grant or refuse licences. In the Transvaal, a law of 1885 required a registration fee of £25 in the first instance for trading rights exercised in defined streets, wards, and locations. In the Cape and the Free State restrictions of one sort or another existed.

Indian traders had the resources to fight discrimination of this kind. They sought legal advice, formed political organisations, and despatched an endless stream of petitions and memoranda to people in positions of authority. The documents in this section display the thoroughness and the articulateness with which they presented their case.