The Land of Green Gold: Some History of Natal and Zululand is a book that highlights the history of KwaZulu-Natal and the role of ancient geology in making the province’s coast suitable for sugar cane farming.
Author Daryl O’Connor tells Engineering News that sugar has been the major economic industry in KwaZulu-Natal – formerly Natal and Zululand – for nearly 200 years.
“It has been a story of clashing worlds and cultures, imperialism, settlers coming to a new land to make new lives, making great fortunes, creating dynasties, and of conflict and treachery leading to war among the settlers and the Zulus.
“It is also a story of conflict between the powerful old families that led to a massive takeover and the ultimate consolidation of the industry that resulted in two massive organisations operating internationally today,” he says.
Little has changed since the two major sugar producers, Tongaat Hulett and Illovo Sugar, emerged from the ‘sugar war’ in 1962, as they continue to dominate the industry, O’Connor notes.
The sugar industry became the largest industry and employer in KwaZulu-Natal over 200 years, he says. Some of the wealthiest families were sugar barons and were the major players in the political and social arenas during that time.
“The ongoing process of improving technology and the ever-present weather problems created the momentum to establish the structure of the sugar industry as it is currently. The industry began with small farm owners working by themselves and then moving to larger tracts of land to achieve economies of scale and benefit from the technology improvements, mainly in milling and refining,” O’Connor says.
The author originally planned to write a novel based on the wealthy and powerful sugar baron families of KwaZulu-Natal, highlighting the wealthy dynasties they built over three generations while creating the sugar industry, leading up to the sugar war of 1962.
However, he settled on covering the broad history of Natal and Zululand over 200 years, up to 1962. The book details some of the first occupants of the land, the arrival of the Nguni people, the rise of Shaka and the building of the Zulu nation.
He also highlights the arrival of the Dutch in 1837 and the settlers, indentured Indian labourers and global missionaries, as well as imperialism and the Zulu War.
The Land of Green Gold: Some History of Natal and Zululand is available at Exclusive Books stores across the country, as well as through Amazon, or on Kindle and iPad.