History of Cape Colony Before 1806 - Economy

Economy

The two pillars of the Cape Colony's economy for almost the entirety of its history were shipping and agriculture. Its strategic position meant that prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 almost every ship sailing between Europe and Asia stopped off at the colony's capital Cape Town. The supplying of these ships with fresh provisions, fruit, and wine provided a very large market for the surplus produce of the colony.