Concentration and Dispersion in the Banking System of the Cape Colony, 1837-1900

Abstract

The resurgence of South African historical geography has, thus far, produced few studies of the major economic factors and their influence on the geography of the country. Large enterprises have long dominated the South African economy, among them the major banks. The paper examines the history of concentration of ownership in the hands of the imperial banks operating in the Cape Colony through a process involving the growth of a dispersed system of branches and the elimination of almost all local banks between 1837 and 1900.