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 lfl 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.

Time, Structuration and the Potential for South African Historical Geography

“…One only has to glance at the recent contributions to the South African Geographical Journal to notice an increased concern with an historical perspective in human geography (Christopher, 1982b;Pirie, 1982bPirie, , 1985Crush, 1984;Hart, 1984;Lincoln, 1984;Martin and Rogerson, 1984;Mabin, 1985;Tucker, 1985). However, these developments must be viewed as part of a general trend within the social sciences and human geography.…”

Incorporation and Company Formation in Australasia, 1790–1860

“…A combination of accidents that had little to do with economic factors therefore undermined both imperial and colonial efforts to incorporate banks in South Africa, creating a precedent which pushed the local banking system there along a more American path of small, undercapitalised local unit banks, despite its close economic resemblance with Australasia and the equally strong influence of British banking culture. It was only after the introduction of chartered imperial banks in the 1860s spurred its consolidation and capitalisation that the Cape system began to converge on the Australasian one (Arndt, 1928; Mabin, 1985). Circumstances might thus have done little to affect the overall timing and extent of company formation, but they nevertheless affected the exact forms that these phenomena then took.…”