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 Air and Road People in Africa travelled more in the 1930's than they had ever done before. Roads and railways took migrant workers far and wide. They travelled from the cocoa farms of the Gold Coast, to the groundnut plantation of Senegal as well as to the mines of South Africa and coffee plantations of Uganda. This resulted in a constant exchange of tastes, ideas and perceptions, as well as a sense of place beyond the confines of the village or town.  CARS
AND LORRIES
Cars made their appearance in French West Africa at the turn of the century, not so very long after they took to the road in Europe in the 1890's. In 1907 the first car in Ethiopia arrived overland from Djibouti. The Alafin (king) of Oyo's car was described in 1927 by the Pioneer newspaper: "a Daimler-de-luxe in aluminum with sky ventilator and nine dazzling head-lights..the cynosure of all eyes." Lorries became common in the 1920's. They were extensively used for transporting groundnuts to the railway in Senegal. This was despite the fact that properly surfaced roads only became common in the 1950's. On a noncommercial level, motorised transport increased the number of Muslims in Africa making their hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Not everyone took to cars straight away. Although the Katikiro (Prime Minister) Apolo Kagwa of Buganda (in modern Uganda) was quite happy to travel by train, he was suspicious of the car when he first came across it in 1902 in England: "After our friend Mr. Miller had returned from the dentist we got ready to go and stop with Sir T. Fowell Buxton, and drove to Liverpool Street station and got into the train. At the end of our journey we found a carriage, and another kind of vehicle called a motor-car, which was driven by gas that comes off from some chemical, and was a very clever thing; however, we refused to go in it as it made so much dust and we got into the carriage and arrived safely to find out friends awaiting us and tea ready." Ham Mukasa secretary to Apolo Kagwa, Excerpt from Apolo Kagwa Discovers Britain. In Nigeria as early as 1919 people were concerned about the lack of affordable imported cars: "I am pleased to see a colleague who is a recognised authority in the motor world make a strong appeal to the head of our motor industry not to neglect the great West African market. He says he has first hand information that "there are not a dozen British cars or lorries in the whole country… The loss of this trade is quite simple to account for. The British vehicle is high-priced, ill equipped in the matter of accessories, and does not lend itself so well as the American machine to local requirements and conditions." West Africa magazine, 9 Aug 1919. By the 1930's the wealthy men of West Africa and East Africa, whether European or Africa, were driving cars. As in Europe lack of highway code and excess speed could result in accidents. "A collision occurred on the Kijura Road near Kahangi between cars belonging to Mr. M. Stead and the Kahuma of Burahya. One side of the Kahuma's car was badly bent. Mr. Stead's car had one wheel almost torn off. The collision occurred on a fairly open bit of road, and it is understood that legal action is pending" Uganda Herald, 9 Dec 1936. In the 1930's, Nigeria's first car importer died. THE PASSING OF W.A. DAWODU "The death of William Akinola Dawodu in his 51st year is of double significance: it marks the further depletion of a once very large family as well as the end of a unique career of African enterprise...William Akinola, born in 1879 and educated at the CMS Grammar School, learned mechanics at the Hussey Charity, where he afterwards became a master... He established a small workshop at the Marina in 1905 and in 1907 his business had so well expanded that he had to remove to the site where his office and works now stand. In those palmy days he had another store at Egerton Square and a shop under his two storey building at Bishop Street. A pioneer in vehicular trade, he introduced the famous Ford cars in Lagos and by 1919 he was sole agent for the Firestone Tyres, Dodge, Charlotte and Reo Motors and for the English, Star, Premier and Hobart cycles. Like many pioneers he suffered terribly from the loss of his important motor agencies, which European firms eventually captured...He will be long remembered as one of our great captains of industry and a good and useful citizen." Daily Times, 7 Jan 1930. AEROPLANES The first aeroplanes in Africa were used in military campaigns. As early as 1911 the French used airpower in their campaign in Libya against the Sanussi. In 1916 the Egyptians used planes in Sudan's Dafur region against the Mahdists. The RAF bombed the Nuer in Sudan in the 1920's. In 1936 Nairobi became an airbase for the RAF. In Liberia, in West Africa, Robertsfield Airport started its life as an American airbase during the Second World War. THE MAIL SERVICE The other main function of aeroplanes was to carry mail. In January 1932, Imperial Airways set up the first mail service from England to Africa, going through Cairo and then south on to Cape Town. The journey took 11 days. Passenger services remained limited to short flights and ships remained the preferred way of travelling from Africa to Europe. In 1921 the Emir of Katsina took a ride in a Bristol aircraft while in Britain on the way to Mecca. He enjoyed the experience: "We have finished the sights of the earth and have grasped them. Today we are seeing the sights of the heavens." For further information see African railways in the 19th century. |
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