The 1918 Flu in South Africa: Hidden Toll of a Global Pandemic
The Story of South Africa: Empire, Apartheid, and Transformation — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In 1918, the Spanish flu swept through South Africa, killing over 300,000 people in six weeks. This episode looks at how the pandemic spread along the Witwatersrand's mining networks, devastating the Rand's compounds and the wider society. We explore the role of the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WNLA), the impact on African laborers and urban populations, and how the colonial state's responses—or lack thereof—exposed deep inequalities. Drawing on contemporary accounts, we examine the flu's social and political fallout, its long-term effects on public health, and how it intersected with the Natives Land Act. Join Lucas and Luna as they uncover a forgotten chapter of South Africa's history, where a virus laid bare the fault lines of race and class. #SpanishFlu #SouthAfrica #1918Pandemic #Witwatersrand #WNLA #MiningCompounds #NativesLandAct #PublicHealth #ColonialMedicine #RaceInequality #PandemicHistory #Rand #Johannesburg #CapeTown #UnionOfSouthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #Epidemiology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
