Bantu Expansion Starting around 1000 BCE in West-Central Africa (modern Nigeria and Cameroon), Bantu-speaking farmers gradually migrated across sub-Saharan Africa over two millennia. Carrying iron tools, pottery, and agricultural knowledge—especially of yams, bananas, and later cattle—they displaced or assimilated indigenous hunter-gatherer groups like the San. This movement was facilitated by rainforest corridors and river systems, accelerating with iron smelting technology around 500 BCE. By 500 CE, Bantu communities reached East Africa; by 1000 CE, they had settled as far south as modern South Africa. The expansion spread not only language (over 500 Bantu languages today) but also social structures, religious beliefs, and farming practices. It dramatically reshaped Africa’s demographic and cultural landscape, laying foundations for kingdoms like Great Zimbabwe and Kongo. Unlike conquest-driven migrations, the Bantu spread was largely peaceful and incremental, showcasing how agricultural innovation can drive continental transformation.
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