Transkei was a “Bantustan” or “homeland” in South Africa, designated for the Xhosa people during the apartheid (a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination) era. The area witnessed significant conflict between European settlers and African communities over land in the 19th century, leading to its gradual annexation by Britain and incorporation into the Cape Colony. In 1963, it became the first internally self-governing black area, and in 1976, the first homeland to be granted “independence” by the South African government, though this was never recognized internationally. Residents lost South African citizenship. In 1994, with the end of apartheid, Transkei was reabsorbed into South Africa, becoming part of the Eastern Cape province. Nelson Mandela was born in the Transkei region.
