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Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613769265315840 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa |
| author2 | Fourie, Johan |
| author_browse | Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa Fourie, Johan |
| author_facet | Fourie, Johan Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa |
| author_sort | Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131613 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:24.431Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131613 Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa Fourie, Johan Kerby, Edward Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History. Stock companies -- South Africa -- History -- 19th century Corporations -- Corrupt practices -- South Africa Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Economic conditions -- 19th century Public contracts -- South Africa -- Individual investors Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Public officers -- Economic aspects UCTD Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the nineteenth century, civil servants, and politicians in various parts of the world pursued their self-interests through public and private companies, leading to politically connected companies obtaining government contracts, monopolies, and special legislation. The introduction of the Cape Joint-Stock Company Act 25 of 1892, in the Cape Colony made provisions for limited liability which allowed for individuals to invest in companies without risking the loss of their assets. Despite regulations prohibiting civil servants and politicians from engaging in for-profit activities at the time, there was a complete disregard for the rules. This study investigates how the government and private joint-stock companies incorporated after the 1892 Act interacted during the first ten years until the end of the South African War in 1902. It is the first study to use both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify the government officials who invested in these private companies – by using private company records and the Cape of Good Hope civil service lists during that period. It also examines the industries they invested in and the capital they committed. The findings show that 46 civil servants and 49 politicians invested in 62 private joint-stock companies from a sample of 263 companies with 6 883 shareholders. They invested in diverse industries such as recreation, hospitality, merchants, trusts, railways, prospecting, mining, manufacturing, cold storage, and real estate among others. The study illustrates their innovative investment approaches as entrepreneurs and how they contributed to the Cape private market. Politicians invested more capital than civil servants as they were wealthier. On the other hand, their self-interests led to the provision of government contracts and monopolies in industries such as merchants and cold storage which distorted market fairness at the time. Overall, the dissertation adds to global business and economic history literature that focuses on how government officials pursued their self-interests during the late nineteenth-century period with a special focus on the Cape Colony from an African perspective and its impact through the private companies that incorporated under the Cape Joint-Stock Company Act 25 of 1892. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die negentiende eeu het staatsamptenare en politici in verskeie dele van die wêreld hul eie belang deur betrokkenheid in openbare en privaat maatskappye nagestreef. Dit het tot politiek-genetwerkte maatskappye gelei wat regeringskontrakte, monopolieë en gunstige wetgewing beding en verkry het. Die aanvaarding van die Cape Joint-Stock Company Act 25 of 1892 in die Kaapkolonie het voorsiening gemaak vir beperkte aanspreeklikheid wat dit vir individue moontlik gemaak het om in maatskappye te belê sonder die risiko om hul bates te verloor. Ten spyte van regulasies wat die betrokkenheid /deelname van staatsamptenare en politici in winsmakende aktiwiteite verbied het, is die verbod ten opsigte van aandeelhouding in maatskappye geïgnoreer. Die studie ondersoek die interaksie tussen die regering en private aandele-maatskappye wat na die aanvaarding van die 1892 Wet gestig/geïnkorporeer is. Die ondersoek dek die periode tot met die einde van die Anglo-Boereoorlog in 1902. Dit is die eerste studie wat beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metodes benut in die identifisering van staatsamptenare wat in privaat maatskappye belê het. In die proses is beide dokumente van privaat maatskappye asook die Cape of Good Hope Civil Service Lists vir die ondersoekperiode benut. Die ondersoek fokus op die hoeveelheid kapitaal, asook die industrieë waarin dit belê is. Die bevindinge toon aan dat uit `n datastel van 263 maatskappye met 6883 aandeelhouers, 46 staatsamptenare en 49 politici aandele in 62 van die privaat aandele- maatskappye belê het. Hulle het aandele gehou in diverse industrieë: onder andere in rekreasie/ontspanning, gasvryheidsbedryf, handel, trustwese, spoorweë, prospekteerdery, mynbou, vervaardiging, koelberging/verkoeling en vaste eiendom. Die studie illustreer hul innoverende beleggings benaderings en hul bydrae tot die Kaapse private kapitaalmark. Vanweë hul groter finansiële vermoëns het politici meer geld as staatsamptenare geinvesteer. Hul eie belang het egter ook gelei tot die verkryging van regeringskontrakte en monopolieë in industrieë soos handel en koelberging/verkoeling wat regverdige toegang tot markte verwring het. Die proefskrif lewer `n bydrae tot die globale sake en ekonomiese geskiedenis literatuur wat fokus op staatsamptenare se najaag van eie belang tydens die laat negentiende eeu met ’n spesiale fokus op die Kaapkolonie tussen 1892 en 1902 – vanuit ’n Afrika perspektief. Doctoral 2025-01-29T09:38:36Z 2025-01-29T09:38:36Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131613 en Stellenbosch University xiv, 275 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Stock companies -- South Africa -- History -- 19th century Corporations -- Corrupt practices -- South Africa Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Economic conditions -- 19th century Public contracts -- South Africa -- Individual investors Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Public officers -- Economic aspects UCTD Chideya, Munashe Tazorodzwa Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title | Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title_full | Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title_fullStr | Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title_short | Private joint-stock companies and government relations in the Cape Colony, 1892-1902 |
| title_sort | private joint stock companies and government relations in the cape colony 1892 1902 |
| topic | Stock companies -- South Africa -- History -- 19th century Corporations -- Corrupt practices -- South Africa Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Economic conditions -- 19th century Public contracts -- South Africa -- Individual investors Cape of Good Hope (Colony) -- Public officers -- Economic aspects UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131613 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chideyamunashetazorodzwa privatejointstockcompaniesandgovernmentrelationsinthecapecolony18921902 |