Mozambique Island, Cape Town and the Organisation of the Slave Trade in the South-West Indian Ocean, c.1797–1807

Around the turn of the 19th century, Mozambique Island emerged as a pivotal hub for the slave trade in the South-West Indian Ocean, transitioning from French merchant dominance to a cosmopolitan network of traders. These merchants developed sophisticated strategies to fund and operate slave ships, forging extensive trade links across the western Indian Ocean and south Atlantic. The study highlights the critical role of Cape Town merchants, who both serviced slave ships and launched their own expeditions, while also examining the long-term impacts of the trade's piecemeal abolition and Brazil's growing dominance on regional dynamics.

Harries, P. (2016). Mozambique Island, Cape Town and the Organisation of the Slave Trade in the South-West Indian Ocean, c.1797–1807. Journal of Southern African Studies, 42(3), 409–427. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057070.2016.1178000