HS3T89: Africa from European Settlement to Nelson Mandela

Module code: HS3T89

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Heike Schmidt, email: h.i.schmidt@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 25 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Part 3 Topics involve the study of specific periods, subjects or types of History. This topic aims to give students an understanding of settler colonialism and white minority rule in Southern Africa.

This module will: 

• Survey the history of South Africa and Zimbabwe from European settlement through majority rule;
• Reflect on the range of experiences, with a focus on an African perspective, which the creation of four races in these territories brought about and how white supremacy was overcome; and
• Consider the parallels and differences of how historians have understood South Africa’s and Zimbabwe’s past. 

The purpose of the module is to develop a sophisticated understanding of social and political justice in relation to race, gender, and colonialism, and the legacies that white minority rule has left for the two young nations.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. have a detailed knowledge of the events through extensive reading in specialised literature;
2. appraise critically the primary sources and historical interpretations of the subject;
3. organise material and articulate arguments effectively in writing; and
4. have developed their oral communication skills.

Module content

Southern Africa, with its relatively strong and prolonged presence of Europeans, provides specific insight into Africa’s colonial past and the legacy of white minority rule up to the present day. This module focuses on the history of two countries: South Africa and Zimbabwe. White minority rule and the more recent imposition of apartheid in the mid-twentieth century demonstrate how Africa was settled by Europeans, how the African majority populations were ruled, and how African men, women, and children lived their lives and responded to losing their freedom. This module examines the origins of racial and racist thought and legislation, African nationalism and its militant fight for majority rule, as well as the legacy of the oppressive past once majority rule was achieved respectively in 1980 and 1994. Each week examines a theme that is studied through primary sources (written, audio or visual) and the relevant historiography. These themes serve as an introduction to the specific history of Southern Africa and also to broad historical questions and debates. The main questions addressed throughout the semester will be: Why did white supremacy intensify in South Africa and Zimbabwe in the second half of the twentieth century? What is the legacy of white minority rule in Southern Africa? Given the nature of the subject, some explicit imagery and language may be found among the course material relating to violence and sexuality.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning will be by a variety of methods, which may include:

• Lectures;
• Seminars, which rely on structured group discussion and may also include seminar papers by students, discussion of evidence, team-based exercises, and debates;
• Online exercises, including quizzes and worksheets;
• Discussion boards; and
• Independent study.

Study hours

At least 33 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor's discretion, an essay plan, bibliography, book review or other preparatory work towards each of the summative assessments.

Reassessment

Additional costs