A survey and comparison of luxury item ownership in the eighteenth century Dutch Cape Colony

Johan Fourie and Jolandi Uys ()
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Jolandi Uys: Department of Economics, University of Stellenbosch

No 14/2011, Working Papers from Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics

Abstract: What we know about the material culture of eighteenth century Cape Colony settlers is mostly limited to qualitative evidence found in official documents, letters, travel accounts and other correspondence. This paper uses a new quantitative source – the MOOC probate inventories – to ascertain the nature, growth and distribution of luxury good ownership in the Cape Colony. The survey reveals a marginal increase over the course of the eighteenth century in per capita ownership, although the trend masks greater movements within different wealth groups, which supports the notion of high inequality within the European society at the Cape. Yet, even given such inequality, the evidence suggests that even the poorest had access to the most basic amenities. In fact, comparisons with European and North American regions suggest that the Cape settlers were often more affluent, refuting the notion that the Cape Colony was an “economic and social backwater”.

Keywords: South Africa; Cape Colony; French Huguenots; VOC; wine; slaves (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 D63 N37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-his
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